Bewitched
by SarahNThatcher
Summary: Final Chapter Up! Makino and Doumyouji are in a fight for their lives when a big secret from their pasts come back to haunt them.
1. Chemistry

Disclaimer: I don't own HYD or any of its characters. I just wish I did.

* * *

""Poof""

""Poof""

""Poof""

The room filled with smoke and Makino Tsukushi erupted in a coughing fit. "CRAP." She screamed and stomped as she reached for her failed chemistry assignment.

"God, Sempai. We're going to fail at this rate." Sakurako said as she continued to file her nails by the open window.

"You could help me." Was all that Makino could mumble as she started to clean up the mess that the chemicals had made.

""Honk""

""Honk""

Sakurako looked out the window and saw the recognizable Mercedes drive up under the lab. "Rui's here to pick you up."

Makino jumped at the announcement and looked at her watch. "Ah," She screamed throwing their supplies into her locker. "Can you finish cleaning up? I'm late for work." She threw her lab coat into the locker before she grabbed her things and ran out the door.

Sakurako, who hadn't moved yet, pointed to one of the young men that were in the lab room. "You," she pointed with her nail file, "yes, you come here and clean this up." She watched as a frazzled Makino ran through an obstacle course of pedestrians before she jumped into the awaiting vehicle. "I'm sure getting someone to clean it up is as good as cleaning it up myself." She said to no one in particular.

The young man jumped as she got down from the window sill and walked over to him. As syrupy as she could she wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her nose against his jaw line. "Thank you so much." She whispered into his ear. "I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you."

The young man started to sputter incoherently as he blushed under her embrace.

"Ahem." All eyes fell on the door when they heard someone clearing their throat. Sakurako looked up and smiled mischievously. "Well, I guess we won't get to find out…" She kissed him softly on the cheek. "…since my boyfriend's here."

She giggled lightly as she grabbed her things and walked seductively to the door. "Hi baby."

"Why is it that every time I turn around you seem to be all over some guy?" He asked smoothly, not really bothered by the incident, just curious.

"I don't know." She replied as they started to walk away from the lab. "Just force of habit I guess." She grabbed his arm and placed her head affectionately on his shoulder as she walked. "Anyway Kazuya, it's not like you get jealous, do you?"

"No not really, but one day I might."

* * *

The music playing on the radio was more to fill in the silence than for listening enjoyment. Rui sat behind the steering wheel absentmindedly humming to the song that was playing when the sound of a few "sorry-s" and a few "excuse me-s" woke him from his reverie in time to see Makino hop into the car. 

"How's your day going?" Rui asked his passenger as he took off towards the dango shop.

"Well, I'm failing chemistry, not that Sakurako is helping, if it wasn't for you I'd be late for work, and I don't know where I left my cell phone and Doumyouji's supposed to call me tonight." She straightened her uniform and noticed that she must have gotten it caught on one of the people she bumped into because the skirt had gotten torn. "All in all just a regular day."

Rui smiled at the awkwardly amusing young lady beside him and tried hard not to laugh too loud. "Well, we can get you a tutor for chemistry, it's my pleasure to drive you around, I don't have anything else to do anyway, and…" he paused long enough to hand her the thin razor phone she had been looking for, "you left this here this morning when I picked you up for school."

"Ah," she half yelled in happiness looking at her lost friend. "Thank you Hanazawa Rui." She checked to see if she had missed any calls or if she had any text messages, but she didn't.

"I'm sure he'll call you later; probably while you're sleeping." He interrupted her pity party and smiled at the thought of Tsukushi waking up in the middle of the night yelling at Tsukasa for being so inconsiderate, but secretly thanking him for remembering about her.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Most likely."

* * *

The dango shop was uncharacteristically busy this night and both Makino and Yuuki lay across the display case. 

"I'm surprised we didn't sell out." Yuuki came to her senses first.

Makino pulled all her strength to get up off the case to lock the doors. "Yeah, and we weren't even running a special." She started to put the chairs on the tables as Yuuki started to clean the glass. "I don't think I'll make it home I'm so tired."

"You!" Yuuki said as if it were a shock. "I still have to go home and study for my math mid-term."

Makino rubbed her face as she walked to the back room to get the broom and pan. "Homework? What's that?" She asked laughing slightly as she swept. "Did I tell you I'm failing chemistry?"

"No way."

"Yeah." She placed her chin on the end to the handle. "My mother said that I should be good at chemistry because it runs in the family. What does that even mean?" She almost dropped the stick from her hand flailing.

"Maybe you have a chemist in your family." Yuuki offered.

"Maybe you're a witch." The dango shop owner stood behind Yuuki and both girls jumped at the sound of her voice. "It's not all that uncommon, I mean, witches would be natural chemists." She paused and watched over to the mirror-like window, staring off into the night. "My last lover's mother was a witch and she did everything in her power to keep us apart."

"There seems to be a lot of that going around lately." Makino said absentmindedly.

"Yes, well she succeeded, because she turned him into a toad."

Both girls looked aghast at the admission. "Eh?!?"

Without another word she shrugged and walked back to the office.

"She's very interesting." Yuuki said trying to hide her confusion.

Makino didn't try as hard. "At least she pays well."

* * *

It was almost eleven when Tsukushi finally dragged herself into the hovel she called an apartment. She turned on the lights only to be greeted by more darkness. She flipped the switch a few more times before she exasperatedly kicked off her shoes and threw her bag on the floor. She hadn't taken two steps before she fell forward over a couple bags in the entryway. 

"Owww." She whined rubbing her leg.

The noise had awoken the other members of the household and it wasn't long before Mama Makino had come to the door with a candle her husband behind her with a bat.

"Mama, it's just me." Tsukushi sighed seeing the man of the house practically cowering behind his wife. "What happened to the lights?"

"The same thing that happened last month, I gave your father the money to pay the bill and he gambled it away." Mama Makino also sighed and lowered her head as if in shame.

"It was a sure thing. I don't know how he broke his leg before he finished," was Papa Makino's defense.

"Anyway," Makino stumbled toward the kitchen area to get some ice for her wound. "What's with the bags?"

"Your grandmother. Her doctor called me today and told me that she's really ill and that I need to go visit her, if nothing else to pay my last respects." Tsukushi could see that her mother's usually tired expression had been traded in for one of remorse and anguish. "He also said that she requested to see you."

Tsukushi pointed at herself, shocked at the request. "But she's never met me. How does she even know about me?"

Mama Makino picked up the candle and started back towards the bedroom. "My mother has her ways." She stopped before blowing out the little light. "Get some rest, sweetheart, we leave at 5."

* * *

"BAKA!" She moved the receiver from her ear as she heard the yells on the other end. "You said you would call me earlier. I'm in a meeting now." 

"I'm sorry." She was so tired she couldn't even fight him. She sat with her head against the railing on the cold staircase that led to her apartment. "Call me when you're done for the day. I'm not going to school for a few days, my mother is dragging me to Nagoya to visit her mother."

"Ok I'll call you later." She could hear him talking to someone in French before he came back on the line. "I'm sorry, Makino, but I got this French jerk trying to strong arm me on this contract. I promise I'll call you tonight." With that he ended the call leaving Makino on the lonely staircase, cold and miserable.


	2. To Grandmother's House We Go

Disclaimer: I don't own HYD or any of its characters, but one day I dream of marrying a really rich guy who's mother hates me because I'm poor and who has a lot of handsome friends who are all in love with me too. Until then I guess I'll just write about it.

* * *

It was midmorning before the Makino women made it to Nagoya. It had been years since she had been home, and she had aged so much since she walked down these streets, but everyone seemed to remember her fondly. The neighbors Mama Makino passed grabbed her hands welcoming her home and welcoming Tsukushi.

When they made it to the house Tsukushi couldn't believe that her mother had grown up in such a home. It had two stories and was brick, completely different from all of the other homes on the street. There were eight or ten windows, and this was just the front of the house. There was a large picture window that showed through to the living room where a roaring fire could be seen from the front yard.

"Grandmother lives here?" Tsukushi whispered still in shock.

"Yeah," Her mother sighed. "This is her house." She pushed down on the intricately designed door handle. "Okasa, I'm home."

A little old lady, hunched over worse than Tama Sempai, hobbled over to the door and cheerfully threw her arms around Mama Makino's neck. "I'm so happy you're home."

Tsukushi bowed to the older woman and smiled. "Nice to meet you grandmother."

The elderly lady giggled so hard she started laughing. Mama Makino shook her head in embarrassment. "This isn't your grandmother."

Tsukushi blushed and apologized to the woman who raised her hands saying that it was an honest mistake. "My name is Himiko." She smiled sweetly. "I'm your great aunt."

"Very nice to meet you." The woman almost cooed before she threw her arms around Tsukushi's neck. "You need to go upstairs and meet my sister; she's been waiting for you."

Tsukushi looked at the little woman before looking at the second floor landing. "Don't worry," Himiko placed her hand lovingly on her back before she pushed her extraordinarily hard towards the stairs, "she doesn't bite."

Mama Makino reached for her daughter but she was held back by her aunt. "Let her make her own decisions." Himiko said softly as she pulled her niece away from the door toward the kitchen. "Tell the old bag I'm making tea, ok sweetheart." She yelled over her shoulder.

"Oh, ok."

The house was oddly cold and the farther she went up the stairs the more it smelled of cloves. As she climbed the stairs she looked at the pictures that laced the walls. The pictures seemed so old as if they had been around for centuries. Finally just before she reached the landing she found a picture of a girl who looked like she could be her mother.

The girl had long black hair that reached the bottom of her back. She was almost as pretty as Shizuka or maybe in the same league with Tsubaki, but she looked like her mother. She couldn't believe it. It wasn't that her mother was an unattractive woman; it was just that her mother looked so old for her age. Her mother was only in her late thirties, but she looked to be in her late fifties.

Makino ignored the rest of the pictures as she heard someone coughing and remembered her current task; meeting her grandmother.

It took a few tries before she finally stumbled into the room where the coughing had originated. As she took a few steps into the room she watched as the older woman, who looked exactly like Himiko, turn to stare at her.

"It's nice to finally meet you Tsukushi." The woman smiled softy before returning to her coughing.

"It's very nice to meet you grandmother." Makino was a little unsure about the situation, here was the woman who had given birth to her mother, but she knew so little if nothing about her. Makino stood glued to the doorway.

"You can come closer dear, I'm not contagious."

Makino blushed furiously as she contemplated the comment. "I didn't think you were." She raised her hands to defend. "I'm just so shocked to finally meet you."

The woman laughed, which resulted in her coughing again. "I didn't think you did." She signaled to Tsukushi to come closer, which she did. "Let me get a good look at you." She sighed and motioned for her granddaughter to take a seat. "You're not as beautiful as your mother was, but I guess I'm to blame for making sure your mother's life was as hard as possible." She admitted sadly.

Tsukushi looked confused at the admission, but before she could question, her grandmother continued.

"I was so angry at your mother when she left us. I couldn't believe that she wanted to marry that good for nothing Makino, when there were so many other well respected young men courting her. But a mother's wishes are always ignored right?" The older woman started to look out the window longingly. "So many years wasted."

Tsukushi tried to signal that her mother was just in the kitchen, but was again interrupted before she could start.

Grandmother sighed again before continuing. "I don't want the line to end with me." She reached over and patted Tsukushi's hands that sat on the side of the bed. "I want you to continue the family traditions."

Makino was shocked at the request coming from this woman she couldn't have picked out of a line-up the day before. "I don't think I understand," was all she could muster.

The woman reached under her shirt and pulled out a necklace with a beautiful sapphire pendant. She picked up one of Makino's hands and pooled it into her palm. "This has been passed down to the women in this family for as long as our bloodline can be traced back. It belonged to my mother's mother and to my mother before me. It had even belonged to your mother at one point in time, but she returned it when she forsook her heritage to marry that bumbling idiot." She shook her head and looked up to see a look of displeasure lining Tsukushi's face. "I know he's your father, but all he is to me is a thief who stole my only daughter."

A single tear streaked down her pale wrinkled skin as she reached for the ring on her finger. "Please wear this." She placed it on Makino's ring finger. "It will protect you always. As long as you believe in yourself and in the strength of this family, you will never need for anything else."

The sound of music broke through the moment and Tsukushi fumbled in her pockets for the telephone. "Hello?" She couldn't hide the smile that pulled at her lips when she realized who was on the other line. "Hi Doumyouji."

She looked at her grandmother almost pleading to have permission to take the call, which the woman could only smile warmly at her granddaughter's expression.

Makino walked out into the hallway gripping the phone to her ear. "How was your day?" She could hear the tension in his voice as he recapped the meeting with the French investors. They apparently had been completely unreasonable and uncompromising, so Tsukasa had wanted to have them removed from the building, but had decided against it.

She listened to him talk for fifteen minutes before the first yawn broke free. "You sound tired."

"Forget about that." He scolded as he yawned again. "This is the longest conversation we've had in months." It was true. The longer he was gone, the more she missed him, but life went on. She still had to work and so did he. He was always in meetings when she had free time and she was always in school when he was free.

"I'm at my grandmother's house right now." She could here him undressing on the other line and blushed a little at the thought of his bare chest.

"The one with the farm?" He asked pulling her from her reverie.

"No I've never met this one before today." She shook her head before she realized he couldn't see her. "But I'm really enjoying myself. She's really nice and she gave me a beautiful necklace."

"Not prettier than the Saturn one I gave you." He boasted.

Makino rolled her eyes and smiled. "No, not as pretty, but it has a sapphire pendant that looks like it has water inside of it." She hadn't examined the necklace before and she admired the deep blue stone carefully.

"I miss you." She finally heard on the other line and it took her breath away. "I know we promised to not bring it up anymore, but I can't help it. It feels like I have a balloon in my chest and it won't make room for anything else." He chuckled softly as he remembered. "Do you know I called some girl Makino today? I was yelling at her for bringing me the wrong copies and I unconsciously called her Makino because she frustrated me so bad."

All she could do was giggle at the mistake, because she had already started to cry silently. She missed him too and it hurt her to know that he was on the other side of the world missing her. She had berated herself a million times after he left for not going with him, but it had been months now and she was finally adjusting. At first they would tell each other how much they missed one another, but it became too hurtful, and that pain still didn't subside no matter how long it had been.

"I love you." She said softly trying to hide the fact that she was crying. Maybe he hadn't noticed, or maybe he ignored it on purposes as not to drag out the melancholy, but he just sighed and blew a kiss into the receiver before saying his own sweet 'I love you' and 'goodnight,' before the line went dead.


	3. Mirror, Mirror

Disclaimer: I still don't own HYD or any of its characters, but I'm working on it. I'm saving up for the rights.

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When Makino returned to the room her grandmother had fallen asleep, so she went off in pursuit of something else to do. She walked downstairs to find that her mother and her great aunt had gone out to the market and she was now alone in the house. She looked around for a television only to find that there wasn't one. She walked out into the backyard and a black cat ran thru her legs out of the house.

Startled she fell back and landed on a black bag with a note attached that read 'PUT IN THE ATTIC BEFORE FUJI GETS HERE.'

Makino assumed that meant her and her mother, because her mother's name was Fujioko. Lacking anything else to do, she lifted the bag and headed to the pull down attic stairs on the second floor.

Like most attics this one was cold and dusty. There looked to be years of untouched treasures lining the walls. There were more pictures and clothes. A desk in the corner was the only spot in the whole loft that wasn't covered in an inch of dust. She walked over and lying on top was a mirror that had been placed face down.

She looked at the intricate metal work that had been done to style the little hand mirror. There was a dove on the handle and a ribbon that curled around the glass itself. The ribbon had writing on it, but she couldn't understand it. Maybe it was English. She thought, but what would two old Japanese twins need with an English mirror?

Slowly she looked at the words and one of them looked familiar, 's'traeh.' That was English she was sure of it, but it looked weird. She ran downstairs and grabbed her dictionary out of her backpack. She searched for any of the words, but could find none of them. Slowly she began to give up when she passed by a larger mirror. The word was 'heart's,' not 's'traeh.' She looked at the others and they also started to look familiar. "To see your heart's desires."

"My heart's desires." She whispered softly. "My heart only desires Doumyouji." As she said the words the mirror began to glow and the full length mirror before her began to glow too. She looked past herself and she could see Doumyouji sleeping in bed and she almost fell back from the sight, only to drop the hand held mirror in the floor unharmed. She reached down to pick it up, but another cat, this one gray, ran past her feet making her stumble toward the full length mirror.

Tsukushi braced for the sound of broken glass as she fell to the floor, but all she heard was the sound of her thudding against the carpeted floor. "Carpeted?" She tried to look around in the darkness, but couldn't see anything in front of her.

Slowly she reached her feet and blindly tried to find anything amiss the now empty attic. Finally she found what felt like a door. _"Had there been a door before?"_ She wondered. She turned the knob and pulled to find the brightness overwhelming on the other side of the door. She could see again, but the sight before her shocked her speechless. There was a long hallway that stretched as far as she could see in both directions. The maid that had just exited one of the other rooms had a look of sheer surprise painted all over her face.

Confused and shocked Makino slammed the door closed trapping herself again in darkness.

She stood with her back against the door. Her heart was beating so fast she couldn't think over the sound. 'I'm in Doumyouji's house.' She jumped when she saw the table lamp turn on.

"Makino?" Doumyouji mumbled sleepily from his position on the bed. He could barely make her out, but the thought of her in his room made his own heart skip a beat. Slowly he pulled his legs out of bed and walked over to his beloved girlfriend who was supposed to be 6000 miles away. "What are you doing here?" He asked tracing her face with his hands.

"I don't know," she whispered incredulously, "I just needed to see you."

"I miss you so much Makino." He said pulling her into an embrace that caused her to melt in his arms. "I don't care if this _is_ only a dream. I'm not letting go of you." He lifted her slightly and carried her over to the bed, where he deposited her lightly.

"Please…" she sighed into his shoulder. "Don't let me go." She caressed the side of his face with her thin little hands until she raised herself to connect with his mouth.

Their lips played passionately against each other parting softly to make room for gentle breaths. Her hands burned his skin with each touch. Down his back, along his sides, every inch of his body set ablaze by her delicate fingers.

He lifted her back tenderly as he removed the shirt that prevented him from effectively capturing her silky smooth skin. He traced her sides, and though she usually would contest by this point, she was too enthralled in her own expedition to be embarrassed now.

"God," he whispered in her ear as he lowered himself to kiss the nape of her neck. "I love you so much." He ventured across her collar bone, pushing her bra strap further down her shoulder until he gave up and reached behind her taking it off completely. He stared at her under the soft light of the table lamp beside him, and she was still the most beautiful thing in the world to him.

"Please, Tsukasa," she started to blush when she realized that he had stopped just to look at her, feeling a little embarrassed as she lay there in nothing but a pair of shorts she instinctively raised her arms to cover herself, "don't stare at me like that."

He smiled smugly as he lowered himself to kiss her again. "What …did …you …just… say?" He asked between kisses.

She was too lost in this battle for contact that she didn't understand the question. "Don't stare at me like that."

"Noooo." He whispered playfully as he nibbled at her ear. "That's not what you said."

Confused by what he meant, Makino stopped kissing him to try and think about what she had just told him, but it was a heat of the moment thing, and he wasn't helping with his distracting stokes at her breast. She let out a soft moan as he came in contact with the tip of her nipple and her action only fanned his desire to nibble on it lightly.

Without thinking anymore her back arched as she smoldered under his kisses. "Tsukasa." She moaned again as she tugged at the waist band of his pajama pants.

Her touch and the sound of his name coming from her were intoxicating. He reached down to her shorts and fought to pull them down, until she lifted her hips so they could slide off.

He looked deep into her tear filled eyes with concern, because the last time they were in this position and she started crying they didn't get past first base, and even though they were way past first base, he didn't want to do anything that would make her hate him in the morning.

"Tsukushi…" he kissed, bring his eyes to hers, "are you sure?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes and lifted herself to kiss him back. "I couldn't be more ready."

She was prepared for it to hurt, but her heart had been so filled with love for him that it overflowed at that moment erasing any form of pain.

He watched her face for any signs of discomfort, but was only greeted by her body shifting to be given more. Their bodies danced against each other. Each move drowning them deeper in love. She almost screamed out of pure passion as he took her to the extent of her reason, which caused him to thrust harder as he brimmed over inside of her. He held his shaking body on top of her until she reached up and pulled him closer. Unable to fight against her he rested his head on her chest content in just hearing her heart beat, until he moved to her side and held onto her tightly.

"I'm never letting you go." He whispered softly into her back. She smiled and slowly fell into a deep sleep dreaming about his touch, dreaming about their love, and dreaming about her ring.

Her ring? Makino's eyes burst open as she thought about the situation and panic filled her to the core. She tried to struggle free, but Doumyouji wouldn't let go of her and even said 'stay' a few times in his sleep.

"I can't," she started pulling at his hands, "I'm supposed to be home." And with that she fell onto the cold floor in the attic with nothing but her birthday suit on. "Oh God." She said as she looked confused around her.


	4. You, Me, What?

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far:**

**Wishingstar436: I too enjoy a bit of fantasy now and then. I hope you enjoy where my sick little mind will take this.**

**az09: I'm really glad you stuck around and I hope you continue to. Sojiro's in here somewhere.**

**LokiGirl: Doumyouji is Doumyouji everyone knows how he's going to take it. I hope you enjoy this chappy.**

**Jennyroses: Yes, it wasn't a dream sequence. ""_Blushes_""**

**Maomi: Thank you for the encouragement. I hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own HYD. That's about it.

* * *

Makino sat bewildered a minute or two before a sheet fell over her head. "You'd better put that on before your mother finds out what you've been doing." She looked up to see her grandmother standing over her. 

Tsukushi's face turned scarlet as she watched the older woman hobble over to the opening leading to the small drop down staircase.

"What happened just now?" She called out as she wrapped the sheet around herself.

"I'm not entirely sure." The woman had made it back to her room and was now sitting on the edge of the bed. "But from the looks of it you didn't wait for marriage."

Again Tsukushi couldn't stop her face from flaming at the bluntness of the old woman.

"It's none of my business, you know, I've only been your grandmother for a few hours." She said slipping into bed. "I just didn't think you would get the hang of using the oracles that fast."

"The what?" Makino took a seat by her grandmother's bed, since she knew that this woman in one way or another knew exactly what had happened and how it had happened.

"The oracles dear." The woman started coughing deeply, hacking a few times. "When is this potion going to wear off?" She asked no one in particular. "My throat is getting sore."

"Grandmother…" Makino looked at the woman skeptically. She might be old, maybe senile or crazy, but this woman knew a lot more than she was telling. "What are you talking about?"

"What are you talking about dear?" The woman looked confused, but traded the expression in for annoyance when she started coughing again.

"HIMIKO." She yelled making Tsukushi cover her ears.

"I think they went out." Makino whispered trying to adjust to the ringing noise she was hearing.

"Ugh." Was all she earned before she watched her grandmother pick up a piece of chalk on her night stand and start drawing on the wall behind her. First she drew a circle and then a square boxing the circle. She then proceeded to draw lines from one end of the box to the other end diagonally, horizontally, and vertically. The woman placed her hand on the center and she tried yelling again. "HIMIKO."

This time when Makino uncovered her ears she didn't hear ringing anymore she heard a cat meowing.

"It took you long enough." The old woman started talking to the little black cat sitting on the foot of the bed.

The cat looked away as if disinterested. "I was out with Fuji having a good time."

Tsukushi fell back in shock as she heard the cat talk. "It…it…" She stuttered. Suddenly another cat, this one white with black ears jumped on her lap as she looked at it in disbelief.

"Calm down Tsukushi, you're embarrassing me." This new cat said.

Makino screamed bloody murder as she took off toward the door only to have it shut in her face. Still grabbing at the sheet that kept her covered she turned around to see that the white cat was now in her grandmother's lap.

"This is all your fault you know." The older woman pet the cat lovingly as she scolded. "If you hadn't been so stubborn."

"If you hadn't been so unreasonable."

Makino almost fainted as she stood watching the exchange between this cat and her grandmother. As fast as she had appeared on the woman's lap the cat had jumped down into Tsukushi's chair. "I knew you were going to make this my fault." The cat's fur began to shimmer and in a flash of semi-blinding light Fujioko Makino sat in the once vacant seat. "You are so unbelievable."

Tsukushi blinked wildly whilst her mother continued to ignore her. "Y-you… cat… light…" she couldn't construct a sentence that made any sense and her mother turned around in time to watch her daughter hit the floor.

* * *

Doumyouji smiled softly into the pillow he had been holding. '_It smells like Makino_.' He thought happily. That had been one hell of a dream he had had last night. Without looking around the room he groggily stepped into his bathroom and took a shower. 

This was the first time in a long time that he had been up before the guards could be sent to wake him. He slept straight thru the night without any nightmares. As he got out and started to towel himself off he stared into the mirror. That dream had been so vivid. If he didn't know Makino was 6,000 miles away he would have believed that she was in his bedroom last night.

He shook his head and smiled until he had walked back into his bedroom to get dressed. That's when he noticed it, on the floor near his bed a shirt. On the nightstand a pair of shorts the underwear still enlaced. He dove for his cell phone on the nightstand and didn't even need to dial because she was the last call he had made.

The phone rang on the other end. No one answered it. It went to voice mail and Doumyouji flipped it closed before trying again. When he had been met with the same outcome after the fourth time he gave up and started to dress.

'_There's no way she could have been here last night._' He rationalized as he lifted her bra off the floor. '_But if she wasn't here then where did these clothes come from and why does my bed smell of her_?'

He grabbed at his hair exasperatedly. "Ugh! I can't take this." He tried calling one more time before he made a different call.

"Doumyouji Corp, how can I direct your call?"

"Megan, do me a favor. Cancel all of my meetings please. Have the jet fueled and ready to fly as soon as possible. Tell them I need to deal with something urgently in Japan." He paused and thought hard. _'Where had she said she was going? Okinawa? Osaka? No, shit I don't remember.' _

"What part of Japan, sir?"

"Tell them not to worry about it. I have more than enough time to give them the specifics. Tell them to prepare for Tokyo." He was about to end the call when it hit him. "Megan." Silence followed. "Hello Megan."

"Yes sir?"

"Megan, don't forget," He paused a little irritated by having to say it. "Don't tell my mother anything. If she asks I was invited to a very important lunch out of the country."

"I won't forget this time sir." She promised.

* * *

Rui cursed under his breath as the sun burned at his face. _'Why did I let Makino move my bed over to the window? The breeze sounded nice, but I didn't even think about the sun stopping me from sleeping.'_

He tried turning over, covering his head with his pillow, even moving to the foot of the bed, but nothing help. Finally giving up he took his pillow and dropped down to the floor slipping underneath the bed.

Slowly his eyes started to close. His body started to relax and he could feel himself dozing off.

_**""Hey! Hey! You! You! I don't like your girlfriend!""**_

The sound made Rui jump and hit his head on the wooden bar of the box spring. He let a few choice words flow out of his mouth as realized Makino had changed his ringtone. He rubbed the sensitive bump on his head as he reached for the little white Razor.

_**""Hey! Hey! You! You!""**_

"WHAT?" He answered angrily without looking at the caller.

"What the hell are you yelling for?"

"Do you even know what time it is?" Rui pulled himself back onto his bed.

"What the hell are you talking about Rui it's almost noon?" Doumyouji looked at his watch.

"Is it?" Rui asked sleepily. He looked at the alarm clock by his bed and sure enough it was 11:50. "Well, what do you want?"

"I'm in Tokyo." He said nonchalantly, like he was supposed to be there.

"Yeah so." Rui closed his eyes letting sleep take over.

Doumyouji could hear his even breathing over the line. "RUI!" He yelled only to be greeted with slight mumbling. "Do you know where Makino is?"

Rui mumbled a response that didn't make sense, something about grape jelly. _'This is getting me nowhere. When Rui's sleeping he's useless.'_

Tsukasa closed his phone and racked his brain. Who would know where his girlfriend could be? That friend of hers, but he didn't know her cell phone number. "Sojiro!" He said out loud as he fumbled thru his phone.

"Yo!" He heard on the other line. "Long time no hear. Shouldn't you be in a meeting or something by now?"

"No idiot it's 10 at night in NY. 'Jiro you sound drunk." Doumyouji noticed the slight slur in Sojiro's speech.

"Yeah." He giggled lightly. "Akira and I are in New Orleans right now." He could hear Akira in the background saying something in English.

"You're drunk before 9. Forget it." He rubbed his head. "Let me get that girls number."

"What girl?" Sojiro said and then Doumyouji heard him laugh. "No, I'm not on the phone with another girl. It's my friend from NY." He assured the little lady that would be accompanying him to bed that night.

"Makino's friend's number." Tsukasa was getting impatient.

"Oh." Doumyouji heard more laughter. "I don't have that number anymore I don't think. If you wait a minute I'll look."

* * *

Makino's head felt as if it had split open. She rubbed her forehead and slowly tried to get up. 

"Oh," she heard a sigh come from beside her and she jumped at the sound. "How are you feeling?" She looked blindly at the woman in front of her and slowly realized it was her grandmother.

"Ok I guess. How long have I been asleep?"

"About 24 hours." The woman brought a cup of tea over to Tsukushi and she gladly accepted it.

"Ugh," she sighted deeply. "I had this crazy dream."

"Which one?" Her grandmother asked handing her a few Tylenol, "the one where you were having sex with that handsome young man or the one where your mother had turned into a cat?"

Makino blinked wildly at the question. _'Wasn't that a dream?'_ Her heart started to beat rapidly. Her face showed every expression she couldn't voice and her grandmother laughed at the display.

"You're confused because your mother has always been selfish."

Tsukushi didn't understand.

"You're mother ran away from her life here to run after your father. I'm pretty sure I said that already though." She said stroking her chin pensively. "But it shouldn't have been her decision to keep you away from your birthright."

"My birthright?"

"Yes, dear." She sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hands on her granddaughter's. "You are just like me, my sister, and your mother; even if she doesn't want to admit it." She smiled too lightly for the rock she was about to drop on Makino's head. "You Tsukushi… are a witch."

* * *

**A/N: Disclaimer 2: I don't own Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne, but its a really catchy tune and way to upbeat for Rui's ring tone. However, I think that since he technically doesn't like Makino's boyfriend it fits kinda funny. And like he would change anything that Makino does for him.**  



	5. All in the Family

Disclaimer: My cousin asked my last night if I would get in trouble for using the word Bewitched... and I really don't know... So I don't own Bewitched or any of its characters, because if I did I wouldn't have changed Darrin. Dick Sargent sucked. Long live Dick York! _psst Sarah... _**Yeah? **_Dick York died in '92. _**Oh OK Thanks. **Long live the memory of Dick York! You Rock.

Anyway I don't own HYD or any of its characters. I only obsess madly about them. My husband thinks I need help, but since he never shuts up about his job I think it's only fair that I have something to space out about.

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**Thank you for making it to Chapter 5.**

**For those that reviewed:**

**LokiGirl: Thank you for that great idea. I'm sure I can cameo it somewhere in the coming chapters.**

**az09: It's good to know you'll be hanging around a bit. I hate to gush, but since I'm such a fan of your work I'm happy you'll be reading my work.**

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Chapter 5 - All in the Family 

"I'm a what?" Makino's jaw hit her lap as she stared wide-eyed at her grandmother.

"You're a witch."

"Kimiko." A slight whisper came from the small crack in the door. "Fuji wants to talk to you before you tell Tsukushi the truth."

"YOU'RE A LITTLE LATE FOR THAT." Makino screamed putting her hands at the sides of her head. "LIKE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS."

"Dear, stop yelling it's not lady like." Her grandmother had sat down with a cup of tea.

Tsukushi got up and ran to the bathroom throwing handfuls of water at her face. "I'm still asleep. I'm still asleep." She began reciting her mantra.

"Tsukushi." Her mother stood in the doorway with a miserable look on her face. "You don't have to be a witch if you don't…" Before she could finish her lips disappeared off of her face. She began to stomp angrily as she left the doorway and headed back to the room where the elder witch still sat on the bed.

"Mind your business Fuji." Her mother didn't even look up from her cup of tea.

"Kimiko, why are you being so childish?" Himiko placed her hand on Fujioko's mouth and the spell had been removed.

"She's not your daughter Okasa. If she doesn't want to be a witch you can't make her." She paused and placed her hands on her mother's shoulders. "Just like you couldn't make me."

Makino's heart sank as she watched the tears threatening to spill over her grandmother's eyes.

"Do you still think that you were better off marrying that man? Do you still shun your life as a witch?" She sauntered past her daughter and placed her tea cup back on the desk. "You gave up a life of privilege for a life of strife." She motioned for Tsukushi to come forward. "You force your family to border on poverty so that your daughter can attend a school full of privileged children in hopes that she can marry a rich young man and end all of your financial suffering. That petty world you chose must have taught you that, because I never did."

Tsukushi looked at the floor ashamed at her grandmother's words. Kimiko had been right about everything. Their family was dead broke, she had been forced to go to Eitoku to perchance snag an heir to some wealth conglomerate, and her family was suffering.

She was finally happy at Eitoku, sure, but what had it cost in the end. Makino was now working full time hours at the dango shop and still attending school. Susumu was in high school and working a part time job, and he's only fifteen. Their mother and father were working two different jobs a day, whenever her father could avoid being fired.

'_What happened to our family?'_ Her face betrayed her mother's pride as her grandmother squeezed her shoulders.

"Kimiko enough." Himiko said watching the look on Tsukushi's face change. "I think we've had enough for one day."

"Aren't you sick of fighting?" Kimiko continued. "How long do you plan on being unhappy?"

"I am happy Okasa." Fujioko said confidently.

Tsukushi shook her head lightly. "I'm not." She whispered.

* * *

Doumyouji called Makino again to no avail. The voice mail kept answering and he left another message. He stood in a public high school principal's office; actually it was the seventh one he had visited today. He towered over the attendant angrily as she fumbled over the keyboard looking for a Makino Susumu.

"I'm sorry Doumyouji-sama. Makino has transferred from this school."

She cringed as he pounded his fist into the counter. "What the hell?" He cursed his luck. "How many schools has this kid been to this year?"

The attendant shrugged and tried her best not to make eye contact, even though she though Doumyouji was gorgeous.

Giving up on this endless goose chase Doumyouji walked out into the hall only to be bumped into be a few kids carrying their class projects. He was about to yell at them when he noticed the large print words on one of the projects.

'THE BEAUTY OF NAGOYA'

"That's it." He slapped his forehead and all of the kids looked over at the weird guy. One of the teachers instructed them not to make eye contact. Doumyouji grabbed his cell phone and called his driver. _'You better not be in New York Makino. Maybe I should have thought this thru.'_

* * *

Tsukushi sat on little wooden swing that was hung in the back yard. She held her head up by leaning it against the rope. She had run from the room because she could barely breathe after she had let out those words.

'_I am happy.'_ She closed her eyes. _'I have Doumyouji, and that's all I need to be happy.'_ She opened her eyes and looked back toward the house. They were probably still arguing over what was best for her. Everyone having an opinion, no one having a clue. _'My life has already been planned out, but I wanted more for my brother. I wanted to be able to keep him from having to struggle the way I did.'_ She hugged her self tightly.

"I want to be everything I'm supposed to be." She said softly as she got up and walked over to a little wishing well. "I think it's crazy," she looked down at the dark drop pooled at the bottom, "but if that means I'm a witch… then that's what I want to be."

Without warning the ground began to shake and Makino fell to the ground hugging the little wishing well for support. _'Oh no.'_ She held on tight. "An earthquake."

"Not quite." A slender pair of hands cupped the side of the wishing well and a matching small head peered over. "You must be Fuji's kid." The little woman pulled herself out of the well and dusted herself off. "I'm your mother's sister, but I'm sure you've never heard of me." The woman was no taller than Makino's waist; she looked up and smiled sweetly. "My name is Fuko."

"Tsukushi." Makino bowed instinctively, but jumped up at the realization. "I have an aunt?"

"Yes and cousins too." As if on cue kids of all ages and sizes started to pull themselves out of the well. "You're uncle Fukae should be here to welcome you any minute."

"Eh?" Makino gasped in shock. "I have an uncle too?" She tired to smile politely as the younger children started to pull on her excitedly. "Yes. Yes. Hello. Hello." She tried to appease.

"Oh, yeah you have a lot of family coming to welcome you. It's not everyday your little sister comes back from the dead and brings a daughter to carry the family line."

"What?" Makino suddenly remembered that her grandmother had mentioned the bloodline ending at her, but how could that be with so many other kids here to be her successor.

"What are you gawking at dear?" Makino threw her glance at the back porch. "Oh hello Fuko I almost didn't see you there."

'_How could you miss all the kids?'_ She almost laughed. _'There's about twenty of them.'_

"Don't be rude Tsukushi." She heard her mother walking over to her. "Family is family. Right Onee-chan?"

"I wouldn't know." Fuko said turning her head and walking past her sister. "My sister's been dead a long time. Are you still considered family?"

Makino put her hand on her mother's shoulder, but her mother smiled warmly.

"I'll say she's still family." A raspy masculine voice came barreling out of the well followed by strong looking hands. A very tall very slender man pulled himself out of the well with a huge smile on his face. "Fuji's always family, no matter how long she hides."

"Fukae!" Her mother ran to the man excitedly. "I missed you."

"Yeah since you see him all the time?" Fuko had her arms crossed and glared at the exchanged affections.

"Tsukushi, come give your uncle a hug." Fujioko called to her daughter. "You've met my daughter right?"

"Never, but my granddaughter knows her well."

Makino was taken aback by the comment. "Your granddaughter?"

"Yeah, she'll be here any minute." He said pointing to the well. "She not used to traveling like us."

* * *

Akira leaned over to Sojiro who was nibbling on the ear of the cute blonde he had on his lap. "Yo, 'Jiro." He yelled over the music. "Go get a room."

Sojiro laughed and leaned back. "I offered half an hour ago, but she says she's good here." He went back to work on the nape of her neck as she rubbed his chest suggestively. "I guess she thinks she not gonna give it up tonight."

"Well, if she starts rubbing below the belt and she's still talking about staying here I suggest you find someone else. There's nothing worse than a free show."

Sojiro laughed again. "Believe me I know what you mean. There is nothing worse than a girl baring all of her secrets out for you."

"Huh?" Akira didn't follow. "Are we still talking about sex?"

"Forget it." Sojiro suddenly didn't feel like getting to know this girl any better. "I'm gonna go make a phone call real quick."

"Who Yuuki?"

"No." He almost sighed as he kissed the girl and let her know that he would give her a call later. "I'm over that little…"

'_Did he just call Yuuki a bitch?'_ Akira shook his head. _'Sojiro sometimes you're too mean.'_

* * *

Makino walked over to the opening eager to find out who this familiar family member would be, but there was no one in the well. She looked over at her mother, who was enthralled in a conversation with her brother. Suddenly a hand grabbed at her shirt trying to pull itself up.

Tsukushi turned shocked at the smiling face looking up at her from the well.

"YUUKI!"

* * *

_Another Disclaimer_: I also don't own I My Me Strawberry Eggs or any of its characters. I just stole a few (highlight stole and replace with barrowed. Yes much better) of their names. But it's ok, I'm sure there are a lot of people named Fuko, Fujio and Fukae running around Japan. Yeah, Yeah. (Delete Disclaimer. That's my story and sticking to it.) 


	6. That's Odd!

**A/N: I'm not a very smart person. I let a co-worker to talk me into getting acrylic nails and now I can't type as fast as I used too, which wasn't that fast to begin with. Sorry for the slow updates, but what used to take me a day or two to type is taking five or six days because of my schedule.**

**Anyway, enjoy.**

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_Disclaimer: I don't own Hana Yori Dango… because if I did it wouldn't have been so long with no payout._

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Chapter 6 – That's odd!

A young lady with shoulder length brown hair stood facing a full length mirror. She wore an emerald green dress and black lacy sandals. She smiled contently into the mirror almost smirking as she walked away to sit on a high back chair.

A small black cat came running into the dimly lit room and jumped comfortably onto the young lady's lap.

"What news do you have for me, little one?" The woman's voice sounded almost melodious as she pet the small feline.

The cat purred as it answered, "The oracles have been past down and accepted." The kitty arched her back and jumped down as her master seemed to find joy in the response. "The barer is Makino Tsukushi, madam."

"Makino, eh?" The young lady stroked her chin thoughtfully. "So Fujioko didn't keep her name," she paused, "odd."

"How so?"

"It doesn't really matter." Sultrily she ventured thru two sets of high double doors, until she stood facing a massive pool of water. "Show me Makino Tsukushi."

The water ripped at the sound of her voice and the image showed Tsukushi reaching into the water well holding a petite hand. The young lady watched as Makino pulled another girl out of the well hugging her happily.

"A friend I suppose." She looked down at her little spy.

"I don't know I left before the welcome party had started." She seemed to shutter at the thought. "I would hate for _that_ family to catch wind of my presence."

"Good, so no one knew you were there."

"No, Makino saw me briefly, but she didn't know it was me." The cat chuckled slightly. "She probably thinks I'm Himiko if anything."

"Excellent." The woman waved her hand over the water and the ripples took the picture away. "I don't want anyone to know I know."

* * *

The phone rang nosily on the other end, but no one wanted to pick up. Sojiro closed his phone uttering a curse under his breath.

'I've been calling all day.' He thought angrily. "What time do they open?"

"Who opens?"

Sojiro jumped at the sound of Akira's voice.

"Dude, you've been so jumpy lately. What's your problem?"

"Sorry." The tall brunette forced a reassuring smile. "I'm good, just New Orleans kinda gives me the creeps."

"How could Bourbon Street give you the willies? Non-stop party central, that's what you said remember. You said 'Let's go to New Orleans. You haven't party 'til you've partied on Bourbon Street." Akira leaned against the building as if bored.

"Yeah, aren't you having fun?" Sojiro's eyes looked for something revealing in his friend's face. Any sign that he suspected the real reason for the journey to the bayou.

"I don't know what's gotten into you." Akira ran his hands thru his hair. "First you have that fight with Yuuki."

"It wasn't a fight." Sojiro rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. When I don't talk to a girl I'm still technically seeing it's called a fight."

"It wasn't a fight. Yuuki just told me something about herself that I didn't particularly care for."

"What don't tell me she's a whore?" The handsome redhead smiled at Sojiro's shocked face. "Oh no I forgot, that's you."

Sojiro punched him in the arm. "You're mom."

"Listen there shouldn't be anything that that sweet girl could tell you that could make you come halfway across the world to runaway from her."

"Not even that she's a …" He hung his head, his black locks covering his eyes.

"Not even that." His friend didn't need an answer. Yuuki could have been a Nazi in another life and it would have been fine, because she loved his best friend and his friend loved her. 'That should be enough.' He thought.

"I don't know." Sojiro whispered.

"What's not to know? Shit, you sound like Tsukasa." He put his hands on Sojiro's shoulders making his friend look up at him. "You love her right?"

"I don't know." The brunette shook his head warily.

"When did you stop?" Akira shook him lightly.

"When I found out she was a witch."

* * *

Rui rolled over and yawned softly stretching. He reached for his phone and it had no missed calls.

'That's odd.' He put it back down.

'I wonder what Makino's doing?' He rolled back over and snuggled into one of his larger pillows yawning again. 'Did I talk to Tsukasa, or was that a dream?'

He closed his eyes again and falling back to sleep. 'If he needs me he'll call me again.'

* * *

Doumyouji stood in the middle of a shopping district not knowing what else to do. He had driven to Nagoya, but now what?

He walked around looking into the shops calling Makino every so often.

"Are you lost?" An elderly woman smiled as he looked down at her.

"No, I'm looking for someone."

"Who?" The woman put her bags on the floor and cleaned her hands on the hem of her skirt. "Maybe I know her."

"She's not from here." He said looking across the street not wanting to miss a single person walking past him.

"Well, do you have a picture of her? Maybe it'll help someone identify her."

This woman was a genius. Why didn't he think of that earlier, maybe someone had seen her? He opened his phone and fumbled with the buttons finally opening a picture of his girlfriend's smiling face.

"She's beautiful, but I don't know her." She sadly reached down and picked up her bags. "I wish you luck finding her."

Tsukasa thanked the lady and now with a newly ignited passion he stopped everyone he saw pushing the digital picture into their face.

"Have you seen this girl?"

Most of the people just annoyed by his intrusion into their busy journeys.

"I've seen her before." Another elderly woman with black hair tied neatly in a bun called out to him. "She's Amawa's granddaughter."

"Amawa?" Thatcher had figured that she would be a Makino too. He shook the thought away quickly and regained the conversation as the woman started walking away. "Where can I find Amawa?" He caught up with the surprisingly spy older pedestrian.

"She lives in the only brick house on Gozen Eikou."

Doumyouji bowed and opened his cell phone to call for his driver.

* * *

It didn't take long to find the house. He could see about ten kids playing around the picture window that showed the living room.

He walked up to the door and rang the bell.

"Yes?" A little girl with blue hair in pig tails so high they looked like horns came to the door.

"May I speak to Makino?" He bent down to talk to the little girl, but she closed the door in his face. 'Little…'

The door eventually opened again revealing Fujioko Makino. "Doumyouji-sama!" She almost cheered. "How are you? What are you doing here?" She ushered him into the house. "You came to see Tsukushi didn't you?" She didn't let him answer. "That's odd; I thought you were in New York?"

"Is Makino here?" He asked exasperated by how much this woman could talk.

"Yes, yes. She's in the back." She continued to push him to the back door.

Everyone looked over at Fujioko when she called for her daughter a little too excitedly. "Tsukushi look who's here!"

The thin brunette looked up from her best friend in embarrassment of her mother's behavior, but her expression changed when under her mother's sturdy grasp was her boyfriend.

"Doumyouji!?!"

* * *

**A/N: A little tribute to Bewitched. Gozen Eikou means Morning Glory. The road where Samantha and Darrin live.**

Hope you enjoyed it.


	7. It's Magic

A/N: If anyone ever tells you that acrylic nails won't mess up your real nails tell them Starr said "you're a lair." Her nails look like crap and they're paper thin now. Grrrr. It's a vicious cycle perpetrated to make you get nails again.

_

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Disclaimer: I need a better lawyer, because I still don't own HYD or any of its characters. I don't even own the computer I'm typing this on. (Technically it's my husband's.) I do own the note book I jot my ideas in, but I don't own the pens. (Technically they belong to my boss.) But hey possession is 9/10 isn't it. Hehehehehe.__**

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BTW / FYI: I have found that if you get naked right now you'll enjoy this chapter much more. Go on take off that shirt and those pants/shorts/skirt. You'll see it's like nirvana I promise.**_

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Chapter 7: It's magic.

"Doumyouji!?!" Makino's mouth hung open in shock and Yuuki pushed her gently toward the handsome young man.

"Tsukushi, don't be rude. Doumyouji-sama came _all the way from New York_ to see you. Come give him a kiss or something." Fujioko was always good at getting her point across, but with her family she forgot that impressions weren't always impressive.

Makino's face burned with embarrassment as she rolled her eyes and stormed over to her boyfriend, who had stopped paying attention when she started thinking about the suggested kiss. "Come on." She angrily dragged him toward the house.

"Just stay out of my bedroom." She could hear her grandmother call, and Tsukushi wished she could be struck by lightning at that very second. 'Does she want everybody to know I lost my virginity?' She wondered, thinking back to the awkward situation her grandmother had found her in.

"What does she mean by that?" Tsukasa leaned over and whispered in his significant other's ear, making her jump and blush a deeper shade of red. Shaking her head to regain her senses, Makino ran into the house Doumyouji in tow.

Fuko's children had filled almost every room in the house except the drop down attic, so that's where the two found themselves.

"Makino why are we in a dusty attic?" Tsukasa looked around annoyed.

A small sigh escaped her as she looked for a place for them to sit. "You saw the rooms; my aunt has like a million kids." She dusted off an old wooden rocking chair and motioned for him to sit.

"Actually," The situation finally struck her as odd. "What are you doing here?"

Despite his best efforts to remain as mature about the situation as possible he had failed to practice the answer for that question, and now found himself blushing brightly and at a loss for words. "I…I…" He stalled thinking of a good enough excuse. "I needed to ask you a question and you wouldn't answer your phone."

'Why dance around the issue?' He looked up at the surprised look that was painted over Makino's face.

'Oh God.' She shuddered at the list of questions he could be here to ask, none of which she truly knew the answer to anyway. 'He probably wants to know how I wound up in New York. I can't tell him I'm a witch.' She fidgeted uncomfortably. "I left my phone charger at home. What did you need to ask?" She offered not really wanting to hear any question. 'Stupid, you should have changed the subject!'

'I expected her to change the subject, now how do I ask her if we slept together or not?' He looked at her eyes for any type of sign that she knew what he was talking about, but was surprised to see the level of anxiety that seeped into her eyes. 'Is she nervous?' He looked down at her hands, and sure enough she was rubbing them roughly against each other. 'She's trying to hide something, but what is it?'

Each second ate at her sanity and if he took any longer she thought she might scream. 'Why is he dragging this on?'

"Makino…" His words failed him.

'No…no…no… what ever it is the answer is no.' The attic wasn't hot, but Tsukushi sat there perspiring in a state of panic.

"Makino…" He tried again his cheeks painted pink with the recollection. "Did you and I…?" He stopped when he saw her tense up. "Did we…?"

Tears started forming at the corners of her eyes. 'I can't lie to him, but what am I going to tell him?' She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Stupid woman, why are you crying?" He asked suddenly more concerned with her tears than the truth.

"I'm… sorry…" She sobbed loudly as he enveloped her within his embrace.

"Don't be sorry." He slowly stroked the back of her hear. "I just wanted to see you." He kissed her gently on the forehead. "I needed to see you."

"I missed you so much." She sobbed into his shoulder.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here now." He whispered into her hair.

* * *

"_A witch?_" Akira looked baffled by the comment. "I don't understand what she could have possible done to have you call her that. Maybe she was just having a bad day." He paused seconds before Sojiro could open his mouth. "Her period or something."

"No she was talking about a witch, a real cauldron stirring, potion making, Harry Potter, Charmed type witch."

"Is that why were in New Orleans?"

"Well I found a store on the internet that deal in the occult."

"Are you serious Jiro?" Akira ran his fingers angrily through his hair. "There are like a million occult stores and masters in Tokyo. We could have saved a lot of time."

"Not like this one." He pulled the print-out from his back pocket and showed it to his irritated friend. "She's not some wacko fake. She's the real thing."

"So let's go visit the store so we can get this over with already."

"You don't think I've tried." The dark haired playboy threw his hands in the air. "I've called the number like a million times since we got here."

"So let's just find the shop. Maybe the witch lady doesn't answer the phone."

"It can't hurt I guess." Sojiro walked over to the curb trying to flag down a cab. "The worst thing that can happen is that they're closed right?"

"You know what?" The redhead joined his friend when a cab had stopped for them. "This is the first time I've been in America and not gotten laid."

"The night's still young." His companion laughed.

"Yeah, but the mood is so shot."

* * *

The silent embrace being shared by the two lovers was interrupted by the death march ring tone Doumyouji had downloaded for his mother.

"I have to get this." He reached into his pocket without moving away from his beloved. "Yes?" He hid the contempt in his voice with a monotone greeting.

"Where are you?" Makino could hear his mother's displeasure over the line. The corporate giant didn't take any such measures to hide her feelings.

"Singapore." Tsukasa lied.

"With who, that street-rat of yours?" Tsukushi could almost feel the venom broadcasted thru the line.

"You're talking about my fiancé you know." The anger in his voice began to rise. "And the answer is no. I'm in Singapore meeting with Mr. Kwon."

"Kwon is Korean."

"No shit." He had to cover Makino's mouth because she almost burst out laughing. "I'm meeting him in his machinery plant, which is in?" He egged his mother on knowing that it was the only way to shut her up.

"Not talk down to me. If I find out you're lying…" She didn't finish the sentence. Instead she hung up.

"What are you going to do if she finds out that you came to see me?" The thin brunette looked up into the deep dark eyes that stared lovingly into hers.

"She's not going to find out anything." He smiled reassuringly. "Because right now as we speak I'm having lunch with Mr. Kwon and in an hour or two I'll be using the Doumyouji Corp. charge card to pay for lunch in one of Singapore's most exclusive restaurants."

"How?" She looked dumbfounded at her boyfriend, which made him laugh.

"Magic."

* * *

"This place looks condemned." Akira looked out the window refusing to get out of the cab.

"Almost all the businesses in this part of town are still in ruin because of Katrina." The driver informed the two peripatetic friends.

"Now what?" Akira slumped into his seat. "All this way for nothing."

"Maybe not." Sojiro shook his friend's shoulder when he noticed a hooded figure entering the store. "Maybe it just looked closed."

"And maybe that's a thief." His partner in crime suddenly felt like giving up on this slightly ridiculous and increasingly dangerous trip.

"That was a woman." Sojiro paid the cab and got out.

"And since when don't women steal." Akira joined him on the curb, watching sadly as their escape route drove away.

"I need to know the truth."

"Whether it kills you or not."

* * *

A/N: What does Sojiro need to know? Why does the store look like crap? What the hell is wrong with George W? What does Doumyouji mean by magic? Where did all of FEMA's money go? Who is the hooded figure? Did he take the money? Why is Akira such a chicken? Is Rui still sleeping? Why didn't Kaede finish her statement? Not to mention Makiko!

Disclaimer: I also don't own _Boys over the High Seas._ That's a fan fic by Jade. But I really enjoyed how she ended each chapter it always made me giggle. Thanks for reading. Please Review.

Disclaimer: disclaimer: This story isn't better when you read it naked, but _hey_ you're naked.

Disclaimer: disclaimer: disclaimer: Diet Pepsi rocks, and so does it's advertising team. Crap!!! I don't own Diet Pepsi either. What the heck am I doing with my life I own nothing.


	8. It Must be Love

Disclaimer: I don't know who started to read this fic and thought that I was Kamio Yoko, but you're wrong. I don't own HYD. But thank you thinking I'm that good.

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**A/N: I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed lately.**

**LokiGirl: You're awesome. No pressure, but I seriously look forward to your reviews every time I post. It's because of people like you that really get a kick out of reading these stories that I continue. Thank you. (Now please don't feel pressured to review every chapter when you don't feel like it. Then I would feel bad.)**

**Junkie: I'm sorry, but no. Doumyouji isn't a witch or a warlock, just a love struck teenager. Please continue reading anyway. **

**tif and sphinx: "It won't go any faster cap'n. It's goin' as fast as it can go." Thanks for the encouragement.**

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Chapter 8 : It Must be Love

"Mr. Kwon, I want to thank you for meeting with me." The tall young man bowed slightly.

"Mr. Doumyouji, the pleasure has truly been mine. It would be an honor for KM Works to do business with you. Please send the contracts to my office in Pyongyang." The older gentleman smiled warmly before bowing. Suddenly he sighed and turned to be led out by his bodyguards.

"What's wrong Mr. Kwon?" One of his guards leaned over into his ear.

"That young man would be perfect for my daughter, but rumor has it he's already engaged." The guard turned to take another look at the dark haired gentleman that sat at the table pulling out his cell phone. "Maybe it's better this way." Mr. Kwon regained his attention. "I heard he has a terrible temper."

"Yes?" Doumyouji answered his phone angrily.

"The meeting went great." The voice on the other line didn't seem to mind the irate tone that greeted it. "He wants the contracts mailed to his office in North Korea."

"Who's that?" Makino mouthed silently.

"My magician." He whispered softly. "Good job. Why don't you go shopping or something on me?"

"I'd rather just go home." The deep voice on the phone sounded annoyed. "How's Tsukushi?"

"I told you about calling her that."

"Calling me what?" Her attention peeked.

"Shhhhh." He put his finger to his lips. "Alright I'm on my way back then." He peered down at the sad face that looked up at him. "I'm sorry." He mouthed.

"Tell her I said hi." The line finally went dead when the 'magician' closed his phone.

"Ugh." Doumyouji grunted with disgust before giving his girlfriend one more hug. "I hate working with that guy."

"What guy?" She looked up confused.

"Kunisawa." Doumyouji rolled his eyes. "By the way he says hi."

* * *

The sound of the bell above their heads greeted them as they walked through the entryway.

"Welcome." A feminine voice could be heard, but not seen. Akira began to look around the shop, but Sojiro walked up to the counter only to be started by an older woman who popped up from behind.

"How can I help you?" She asked unfazed by the brunette's reaction. The woman had on a black hoodie, probably her grandson's because it had a flaming skull with a skateboard plunging through one of the eyes.

Sojiro pulled out the article he printed from the internet and placed it on the counter. "They said you have counter potions."

Akira overheard the word potion and grew rather intrigued by the conversation.

"I've been known to be able to, but it depends on the potions nature and its ingredients." She removed her hood to reveal an ocean of black hair that spread across her shoulders and down her back. "I'm not a witch doctor, if that's what you're looking for." She walked away from the counter turning her attention to the articles on the shelves. "Since most so called potions are made from organic substances, they're easily counteracted."

"What about love potions?" The dark haired boy followed her around as if entranced by her movements.

"That's what this is all about?" Akira threw his hands in the air out of sheer frustration. "You finally have feelings for one girl and you assume it must be a love potion?"

"Bro, I've never felt this way over some chick and now I'm just coincidentally in love with a witch?" Sojiro tried to reason with his best friend. "That's probably how Makino tamed Tsukasa; I mean nobody changes overnight like that."

"Ugh." The fiery redhead reached for the door. "You and you're stupid ideas. I could be getting laid right now."

"It wouldn't be so stupid if it was you and you were in love with this only minorly attractive under middleclass working girl." He pointed to the other playboy at the door.

"Maybe you are under a spell, maybe it's making you stupider than usual." Akira looked up trying not to make eye contact after such a lame come back. "I'm going home. You finish this witch hunt on your own." He turned before walking out. "No pun intended."

"Get back here baka." Sojiro ran over to the door and pulled him back in by his collar. "Ma'am?" He looked over at the woman who seemed preoccupied by her search. "Is there a cure?"

"Hmmmm." She hummed. "Ah!" She pulled a book off the shelf and unwrapped the plastic covering. "First before we can cure you, we need to know if you've been in contact with a potion at all." She opened the book and pulled out a few sheets of paper that were neatly tucked inside of the first aid kit looking book.

"What kind of book is that?" Akira looked over the woman's shoulder inquisitively, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"It's just like your standard chemistry style litmus paper." She pulled out a thumb tack and grabbed Sojiro's hand. "If you've been in contact with any additional pheromones, unnatural to your body chemistry, the paper will turn green, but if you haven't the paper will turn white from the acidity of your ph."

Before he could react to the information she stuck his finger and squeezed a drop onto the sheet. All eyes turned onto the little blue paper as the seconds drug on like hours. The paper's tint began to slowly fade and reveal a white stain.

"I'm sorry." The woman hung her head dejectedly as she packed up the supplies and walked back to the counter. "You can't blame this on any potion; you're just in love kiddo."

"Told you." Akira threw his hands onto his friend's shoulders almost knocking him off balance.

"I'm in love?" The whisper was almost inaudible. "With a witch?"

"Seems so." The woman's register rang and jingled loudly a smile spreading over her face. "No will that be cash or charge?"

* * *

Yuuki looked at her watch and sighed. "I'm sorry grandfather." She smiled hugging him tightly. "I have to go to work now. Tell Tsukushi to call me when she gets back."

"You sure you can't stay any longer." Fujioko hugged the short blonde.

"Our boss needs at least one of us to be there." She looked over the edge of the well and grimaced. "I'll never get used to this." She closed her eyes and took the plunge.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Fuko walked over to her siblings.

"She should be fine." Fukae smirked. "She's a good girl."

"Just not a good witch." Fuko mumbled under her breath as she walked away.

* * *

Makino walked out of the house hand in hand with the love of her life. She hugged him possessively and walked him to the car.

"Call me when you get home I don't care what time it is." Doumyouji demanded getting in the back of the vehicle.

"I will don't worry. Get back safe." She closed the door behind him and he lowered the window. "Give my regards to your magician." She waved as the car started to drive off.

"It's not too late for you to come back to New York with me." He called to her shrinking figure.

"I can't go back now." She yelled. "But I'll come see you soon."

A confused look swept over Tsukasa's face. "What did she mean by that?" He stuck his head out the window trying to see her, but she had already started walking back to the house. He returned to his seat and shook his head. "Nah. She meant …" His eyes narrowed and he scratched his head. "What the hell does that mean?"

* * *

"Classic." The young lady in the green dress laughed as she watched Makino and Doumyouji's exchange. The little black cat sitting in her lap.

"What are you going to do ma'am?"

"I'm insulted." She feigned offense. "I wasn't going to use this information for my own benefit." She pet the cat making her purr. "I was merely going to offer her a simple trade. Something I want for something she wants."

"I don't understand." The kitty jumped down. "What do you have that she wants?"

Her master laughed softly at the comment. "Well nothing…yet. Silly. But shortly I'll be able to make her an offer she _won't_ refuse." Using her pointer and middle fingers the young woman made a scissors motion with her hand and began to cut her hair to match Makino's.

"I like it." She modeled the haircut for the cat.

"Good." Softly she dusted her self off and her green dress changed into a simple tank top and shorts. "Let's hope he does."

* * *

Tsukushi scanned the backyard for Yuuki, but settled for her mother and uncle. "When did all these people get here?"

Fujioko spun around startling her daughter. "What happened? Where's Doumyouji-sama? You didn't send him away did you?" Makino's eyes began to water at being shaken so hard. "I forbid you to brake up with him."

"O…ka…sa." Tsukushi was turning green. "On…e…gai."

"Fuji you're scrambling something." Fukae laughed.

"You don't understand." His little sister shook her offspring harder. "She's so stupid sometimes. You know how many times she's broken up with that nice young man and he's still crazy about her."

Makino was seconds from vomiting when her grandmother pulled her mother off of her. "Fuji, leave my grand daughter alone."

Fujioko yanked her daughter away from the elder witch's grasp. "Okasa, you seem to be doing much better now." She sneered at the smirk that had formed on her mother's contented face. "We're going home now."

"Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself?" Kimiko crossed her arms in front of her. "You can leave whenever you want, Tsukushi is the one that decides when she stays and goes now."

"She's right grandmother. It's time for us to go back home." All eyes were on the three women, the guests' whispers becoming a dull roar.

"Oh, I see. I thought you were serious about becoming the successor."

"Of course I'm serious. I really want to learn how to be a witch, but I have school and work and friends and my family. I can't just drop everything and stay here."

Kimiko placed her hand on Makino's shoulder. "I don't blame you for having screwed up priorities; it's your mother's fault." Fujioko scoffed at that comment, but remained silent. "If you want to come back you know how." She moved her hand to the girl's head. "Just make sure he's worth it."

"Don't worry grandmother." She smiled warmly thinking about Tsukasa. "He's definitely worth it."

* * *

A/N: LokiGirl, I don't know if this is how you saw the scene unfolding, but this is how I saw it.

Enjoy ya'll. Please RxR


	9. Because I Need You

**Disclaimer – I don't own HYD or any of its characters. **  
_

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A/N: I don't have an interesting excuse for the slow updates. I've just been catching up with my DVR recorded season finales. OMG how many times are they going to kill Chloe and Lana?_

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Chapter 9 – Because I need you

She could see her prey sitting at the airport bar drinking bottled water hunched over slightly trying to ignore the wait. He looked at his watch several times almost willing the time to go faster.

"Where you headed?" The love struck female bartender hung around him ignoring the rest of the patrons.

"New York." He said dryly.

"I love New York. I've only been there once." The woman continued causing Doumyouji to roll his eyes. He gave up on a quiet wait and threw a few yen on the bar before stepping off the stool.

"Leaving me already?" The female in front of him made his heart stop.

"Makino? I thought you weren't coming with me?" He almost ran to her picking her up in a huge bear hug.

"_I_ didn't say that." She smirked triumphantly. "_I_ would never leave your side." She laced her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

"I'm so glad you changed your mind. Let's go." He released the kiss and looked into her eyes. There was something different about them, but he shrugged it off and smiled. "The  
plane should be ready by now." "Great." She giggled airily sending a cold chill down his spine. He tensed momentarily raising suspicion from his accompaniment. "Actually, Doumyouji I ran here straight from the party. Do you mind if I run to the restroom before we head to the plane."

The request sounded odd, but not unlike Makino. He took a seat back at the bar which reignited the attention of the bartender. "Is that your girlfriend?" She stood polishing a clean beer glass with a rag.

"My fiancé." He looked over to the direction of the restroom, but there was no sign of his companion.

Noticing his irritated demeanor towards her the tall blonde smiled as friendly as possible. "Would you like another bottle of water?" To her dismay he didn't even look up at her. "On the house."

"No thank you." He sighed, beginning to grow anxious. He got up from his seat and wandered back towards the restrooms. The rear of the bar was darker than the front. The restrooms were sectioned off by a large wall.

"Oi, Makino how long do you plan on taking?" He called into the door sized gap between the divider and the real wall.

No answer. He called in again this time knocking on the door labeled "women." Still no answer. Slowly he turned the knob knocking as to warn that he was coming in. "Oi." He yelled a whisper into the room blushing ferociously. "Makino are you in here?"

"No." The voice behind him made him jump. When he turned around the smiling brunette sprayed a mist into his face dropping him like a fly.  
"Are you sure you need him?" The little kitten looked between her master and the unconscious young man.

"Of course." She tried to give a reassuring smile, but it came off as a devilish sneer. "I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't need to. I already promised not to hurt him. What more do you want?" The Tsukushi look-a-like smoothed her hands through her hair until she had pulled it to the middle of her back.

"I liked her hair before that model guy's friends cut it." The young lady smiled at the cat.

"I really don't care what her hair looks like." The feline purred into Doumyouji's ear and the young man lifted himself from the floor. "Follow me."

* * *

Makino opened her locker to find a notebook sitting on her shoes. She thumbed through it curiously and smiled when she saw "Love, Sako" on the back page. "God, thank you for my friends."

"No problem." Sakurako stood behind her lab partner. "Your English and History notes are from Kazuya, so I don't know how good they are." She smiled devilishly. "I've missed you." "I've missed you guys so much." They walked out of the building toward their next classes.

"You didn't miss much." The redhead informed. "The F3 haven't been around, not even on the university campus. Shigeru's still in Rome with her school trip and I've been shopping everyday to hide my boredom."

"Sounds fascinating." Makino laughed sarcastically. She pulled open her cell phone. "I've tried calling Doumyouji like ten times." She sighed. "But he isn't answering."  
"Well," Her companion looked at her watch. "Try him now. He should be free. It's like 8 pm in New York."

The phone rang on the other end, but when the voice mail answered she flipped it closed. "I don't understand why he won't answer."

"Ah!" The thin brunette screamed as the once silent phone shook violently in her hand. "Mushi mushi."

"Tsukushi is that you." The voice seemed only remotely familiar.

"Who is this?"

"Amon." The young man mumbled something about being easily replaced and continued on the phone. "Where's your stupid boyfriend?" He yelled into the receiver.  
"What are you talking about?" She asked getting increasingly worried. She could hear his exasperation over the line.

"He hasn't called me since I got back from Singapore, and I'd like to go home now. I keep calling him, but he doesn't answer." He sighed angrily. "I knew I should have told him to go kill himself when he asked me to do this."

"He left a few days ago." Makino looked at Sakurako who was intently listening closely to her head.

"What's going on?" She mouthed.

"Doumyouji's missing." Makino whispered.

"HE'S WHAT?" The fiery girl shrieked drawing everyone's attention.

"Shut up!" Makino hissed covering her friend's mouth and dragging her into an empty classroom.

* * *

Yuuki sat with her head propped up on her hands barely listening to the drab lesson her teacher was going on about. The girl behind her passed her a note and whispered for her to pass it along, which she did absentmindedly. The hands belonging to the clock mounted on the wall seemed to taunt its prisoners with its extremely slow movement, making this extraordinarily boring day last forever.

The back door to the classroom slid open quietly, thankfully failing to attract the attention of the teacher at the board. A small remote control car was pushed thru the slit and maneuvered to the distracted blonde by the window. Suddenly and painfully the miniature intruder slammed into her foot causing her to yelp in pain.

"Matsuoka-san?" The teacher looked over a mixture of concern and disapproval masking his face.

"Gomen nasai." She jumped out of her seat and bowed before she picked up the car and ran out of the room.

The teacher looked like he was about to say something, but shrugged and continued the lesson.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Yuuki looked at the two playboys loitering in the empty hallway. She handed the toy to the red head, but turned when the object of her affection cleared his throat.

"We came to see you." Sojiro seemed nervous when he tried to sound nonchalant, which made Akira want to laugh.

"Oh…oh-kay. What for?"

"I wanted to say sorry." He ran his hand thru his short black hair and searched for the words he had practiced on his way there. "Look I shouldn't have over reacted."

"It's no big deal." She blushed assuming Akira knew about her secret too. "If that's all you wanted," she motioned back to the classroom. "I've got to get back."

"Actually," he rung at his hands not used to having to pursue women, they always threw themselves at his feet, and this wasn't just any woman. "I want to go out tonight."  
She looked at him as if to say 'so what, then go out.' "With you; I want to take you out tonight."

"Oh… oh-kay." She raised an eyebrow because he was acting weird. "I'm free after work."

"Good." He heaved a sigh of relief. "I'll pick you up at closing." With that Yuuki walked back to class shaking her head, not really sure what to make of that conversation.

"You know you're a dork, right?" Akira started walking away, the little remote control car following him like a puppy.

Sojiro pushed him from behind and both boys started laughing at the uncomfortable conversation. "Shit." He laughed. "I've turned into Tsukasa."

* * *

Makino explained that she had seen Doumyouji at her grandmother's house. She had told Sakurako everything except the part about sleeping with her beau and of course about being a witch. "Please cover for me a few more days." She begged. "I need to get to the bottom of this or I won't be able to concentrate anyway."

With that she ran from the room and back home. Rushing to her bedroom to get her hidden stash she found the hand held mirror from her grandmother's house on her desk. As she reached for the handle the glass began to shine.

"What's going on?" She lifted the shimmering object to the full length mirror behind her door. "My heart only desires Doumyouji." Unlike the mirror in the attic, this time the reflection turned black. "My heart only desires Tsukasa." She tried again, but the reaction was the same.

"What's going on?" She shook the handle, like that would work and tried again. This time she thought about Kaede when she said Doumyouji, and the glass showed the wicked corporate queen at her desk going over a few contracts with all of her advisors around her. Oddly, there to her left sat Tsukasa.

"Why wouldn't the mirror show him to me if he's right there?" She asked the mirror to show her Tsukasa again and once more the darkness returned.

'I'm so stupid.' She berated herself. "My heart desires to see Amon." And there sat the bored semi-suicidal young man.

"Why?" She whispered trying to calm herself. "I need help." She called out and in the mirror she saw the reflection of Kimiko and Himiko chatting happily over tea.

* * *

"Tsukushi?" They both looked at her bewildered at her entrance.

"You're really getting used to your craft. Good job, sweetheart." Kimiko congratulated.

"Yes, yes, good job, but what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" Himiko asked taking a sip of her cooling tea.

"Yes, I know. Actually I need your help." She handed the mirror to her grandmother. "I think it's broken."

"It's enchanted sweetie. It can't break."

"Well then something's wrong because I can't find my boyfriend. I keep looking for him and I can't see him."

"Oh, is that all." She took another sip. "Someone is blocking you." She announced matter-a-factly. "Something magical is hiding him."

"You say that like it's okay." Tsukushi shrieked.

Himiko sat quietly watching the exchange. "Of course it's not okay." She chuckled. "But at your level there isn't much you can do against someone strong enough to block the oracle."

"You're not helping onee-san." Kimiko laughed. "Tsukushi dear, we can't help you…" she looked at the pain that clouded her granddaughter's eyes. "…unless."

"Unless?" The hope returning to her face.

"Well, you need to learn how to use the oracle. I can teach you."

"But…?"

"But it won't be over night. It takes time to master."

"Time I don't have. If Tsukasa's in danger I need to save him now."

"Going up against this magic, without knowing what it is, could prove fatal to both of you." Kimiko placed a warm and loving hand on her granddaughter's trembling fists.

"How long will it take to learn the basics?"

* * *

Doumyouji tried to lift his head, but he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"I wouldn't move too much if I were you." A cheery voice came from the shadows in front of him.

"Show yourself coward." He groaned through the pain.

The figure that appeared before him confused him to his core. "Please, like I'm afraid of you." She sneered disapprovingly.

"Makino?" He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Sort of." Her laugh was more like a cackle.

"I don't understand." He squinted to trying to make sense of the situation. He looked at his wrists and they were shackled to the wall. "Why are you doing this?"

"Duh, its because I need you."

* * *

_A/N There it is I hope you enjoyed it. _

_Grrrrr LokiGirl: it was semi transparent, but yes she's impersonating Tsukushi… but why? _

_tif: I would never… well not for long I wouldn't. _

_az09: They were a bad idea, they ruined my real nails, and they were really painful coming off, but I miss them. Ugh. The things girls  
go through._


	10. Who? What? Where? When? Why?

_A/N: Dude I've been so lazy lately. I've had this written out for like ever and I can't find the time or the energy to type it out. I even have two alternate paths to choose from for the remainder of the story. I hope you guys like it. It took a lot of effort to have it up for you guys._

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**Disclaimer: I don't own HYD or any of its character… yaaaaaaawwwwnnnnnn!**

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**_Chapter 10 - Who??? What??? Where??? When??? Why???_**

The little black cat had a thin golden ribbon around her neck. She sat staring at the young man who lay before her struggling through the pain to breath.

"This will be over soon, Tsukasa." She lowered her head and sighed. "I'm so sorry you had to be dragged into this."

"Uuugh." She heard him groan signaling his return to consciousness.

"Is our little pet waking again?" The dark haired imposter walked into the room crouching down to hold Doumyouji's chin in her hand. He cringed, a shot of pain shooting down his back.

"I thought you would be more fun." The cold hearted brunette let his head fall to the floor with a thud.

"You said you wouldn't hurt him." The kitty called up to her.

"I also said I would change you back, but if you keep PISSING ME OFF," she calmed herself by smoothing the imaginary wrinkles on her dress. "I might change my mind."

Her four legged servant was used to her temper. Suppressing the urge to claw her master's leg she calmly got up and walked out of the room. She stopped at the door and looked back at the usually monstrously willed young man struggling for his life against the evil witch who was once again punishing him. 'I'll bring you help Tsukasa. Don't worry."

* * *

Tsukushi was on the grass of the backyard painfully grabbing her gut. 

"You'll never save him like that." Her grandmother exchanged a glance with her sister as they laughed.

"Is beating the crap out of me your idea of training?"

"Actually," she watched her granddaughter return to a vertical base before attacking again. "There are two ways to gain control of the oracle. This is the cliff's notes version." Her knee connected with Makino's abdomen sending the novice witch back to the ground.

"Block baka." She instructed. "Use your arms to protect yourself."

"Stop…aiming…for my …stomach!" Makino choked out between gasps as she tried to get back up.

Kimiko rolled her eyes. "Stop complaining and defend yourself." She sent a volley of punches, which Tsukushi had been able to block. Sick of constantly getting hit Makino tried to return a punch but was surprised at how fast the seasoned witch moved. With amazing speed Kimiko had pushed the teenager's arm out of the way with one hand and pulled the younger witch to her knees, her arm straddled behind her back, a fist of hair in the other hand. "What are you going to tell Doumyouji's captor. 'I'm here to get my boyfriend, but don't hit my stomach."

Makino elbowed her grandmother freeing her hair from her deathly grip.

"Nice shot." Himiko clapped from the lawn chair she sat lounging on.

"I'm sorry." Tsukushi tried to see if her grandmother, who was currently doubled over, was fine and was rewarded for her compassion with an uppercut that almost dislocated her jaw.

"Don't let your guard down for anyone." She walked over to the fallen youth and kicked her to get her up faster. "Do you think that whoever has the Doumyouji boy wouldn't use him against you?"

"I can't think straight fighting you?" Tsukushi yelled holding her cheek.

"Why? Don't tell me… you don't want to hurt me."

Without looking at the wise teacher, she nodded.

"Pansy." Was Kimiko's only reply.

* * *

Ever since Sojiro got back from New Orleans he and Yuuki were finding themselves inseparable. Even the little blonde, who had always wished the object of her affection would pay a little more attention to her, was getting sick of his constant company. 

Sojiro and Akira would spend all day at the dango shop, unknowingly drawing in large amounts of customers, mostly of the female variety, by just being there. He would want to walk her home, talk to her all night and pick her up for school. There wasn't a break in his constant affection. Makino had once said that Doumyouji was bad, but Yuuki feared that Sojiro was much worse.

As far as she knew, Sojiro had only been in love once before, and he had turned his back on that love. She wondered if he was trying to compensate for that lost time.

She sat at the counter of the dango shop looking out the window to the street. It was a quiet Monday afternoon and she was glad Sojiro had had a tea ceremony to attend. Looking at her watch she sighed. 'Only five.' She still had three hours left in her shift.

Without really noticing her head started to dip softly as she nodded off. The silence that gently enveloped her reminded her that she hadn't gotten off the phone with her boyfriend until early that morning.

"I don't think they pay you to sleep." Rui stood snacking on a cracker.

"I'm sorry." She jumped up blushing brightly.

"I walked around you, got a cracker, and put the money in the register without you noticing. What are you, narcoleptic?" He shrugged.

"Pot calling the kettle black, ne?"

He thought about the comment and shrugged again.

"Do you know where Tsukushi is? She was supposed to be back today." Yuuki asked rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Actually, that's why I'm here. I dropped her off at school this morning, but when I went to pick her up for work she wasn't around." He ran his fingers through his hair, half out of frustration and half out of sleepiness. "Even Kazuya said he hadn't seen her all day."

Yuuki ran into the back and rushed back with her phone to her ear. "It's not like her to skip school."

"If you're calling her, I tried that. She didn't answer."

The little blonde put her finger up to shush him. "I'm not calling her." She smiled at the voice that answered. "Grandfather!" She beamed. "Do you have great grandmother's telephone number?" Rui could here the mumbling on the other end. "Yes it's important." She cocked her head to the side agitatedly. "We can't find Fuji's daughter and I think she might still be there."

The other line was silent for a few minutes before the booming voice returned with four different numbers she could try.

* * *

Himiko rolled her eyes at the phone that incessantly rang next to her. "Moshi moshi." She didn't recognize the voice on the other line, but she perked up when the female asked for Makino. "Yes dear. Tsukushi is here. She's training with my little sister now." She could hear the relieved sigh from the other line. 

"Oi, Makino." Himiko yelled over to the battle ground trying to distract the younger woman fighting for her survival against her older adversary, but Tsukushi had gotten more focused in the last eight hours of physical training.

"Busy." She called over blocking a roundhouse kick and returning her own.

"Dear she can't talk right now." Himiko informed. "Anything I can do?"

"No, thank you though." Yuuki gave her goodbyes and closed her phone.

The eldest witch shrugged and put the phone back on the lounge table beside her. "So interesting." She looked at the little black cat with the golden ribbon around her neck. "And who might you be?" She smirked, quite intrigued.

Even Kimiko, who was preoccupied fighting Tsukushi, noticed the miniature feline. "Who's that?"

"I'll tell you when I know." Her big sister called over, petting the little kitty.

"I wish I could tell you I'm a friend, but I wouldn't lie to you." The cat lowered her head pondering how much was too much to say.

"Okay, so if you're not a friend, you must be a very confident foe to come and show yourself before attacking."

"Well, actually…" She noticed that the battle had ebbed and the two warriors were making their way over. "I came to speak to Tsukushi."

The declaration shocked the teenager. "You know me?"

"All too well." The kitty shook her head sorrowfully. "I'm so ashamed to say this." If possible they women thought they say the cat roll her eyes. "I've never been ashamed of anything…ever." She sighed deeply. "It's me Tsukushi… Tsubaki."

* * *

_Whaaaaat? Tsubaki???? The world has gone mad._

_Please tell me what you think because I've got two different ways I can take this. Of course I like one more than the other, but everyone I talk to likes the other way better._

_I'll let those who care choose. __**Random selection**__. A: the one I like or B: the one other people's not me…I should say insignificant people's choice._


	11. It's a Long Story

_**Author' s Note: Contrary to popular opinion I am neither selfish nor do I think that I am always right. I can be wrong at times. (Not often, but at times.) For those that put an input into the story I tried to use as much as I could.**_

_**I'm sorry Amber I can't change the setting to a homecoming dance and I can't just change Doumyouji into the star quarterback. (I will probably never make a fanfic like that by the way.)**_

_**To those that have no idea what I'm talking about: Please enjoy the chapter.**_

_**az09: yeah, Kimiko rocks. I kinda pictured an older version of Kimiko from Shaloin showdown.**_

_**maomai: i want to bring Makino and Doumyouji back together as soon as possible too. I never meant for this story to be so charmed-like serious. But is it crazy that I really like it though. **_

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Disclaimer: I don't own HYD or any of its characters. _Even though I didn't really want to admit it, some of the ideas for this chapter came from my co-workers who I make comment on my ideas. With their help I was able to crop the chapter from seven pages to just under four. (Not including Disclaimer or A/N.)_

* * *

"Tsubaki nee-chan?" Makino fell to her knees and reached out to the kitty. "Are you a witch too?" 

"She can't be." Kimiko interrupted, she had her arms folded watching the exchange suspiciously. "Feline transition is a gift passed down in our family line only." She looked at Himiko who smiled knowingly and continued petting the miniature creature.

"Then how?" The teenager looked around for answers.

"It's a long story." Tsubaki answered. "Look I didn't come here for my problem. Tsukasa needs help."

"You know where he is?" Tsukushi almost jumped out of her skin. Kimiko placed a hand on her shoulder commanding all of her attention.

"You're not ready yet."

"I thought that that was what we were doing." Makino shouter as she returned to her feet. "I didn't get my ass handed to me so that you could say I'm not ready. I can hold my own against you now."

"Physically, but you know nothing about magic."

"Tsukushi." Tsubaki interrupted her little face full of disappointment. "If she says you're not ready yet maybe you're not. I don't want you to get hurt."

The tears started to pool at the corners of Makino's eyes. "All I want to do is be there for him the way he's always there for me."

"What do you plan to do go get yourself killed?" Kimiko yelled exasperatedly. "I can see it now 'Take me and let Doumyouji go.' Were you thinking about something like that weren't you?"

"NO!" She yelled in her defense.

"What if she turns you into a cat? What are you going to do scratch her really really hard? Is that your plan? It must be because you don't know enough to counteract an attack."

"Tsukushi, I'm so… look I appreciate how you feel about my idiot brother, but she's right Minako is too strong for you. This is my fault I'll handle it."

"MINAKO?" The twins said in unison.

"She's the witch that has Tsukasa." Tsubaki looked up at them confused.

"This is much more dangerous than I thought it was. Please start from the beginning. How did you get involved with Minako?"

"Who's Minako?" It frightened Tsukushi to see her grandmother so tense.

* * *

Minako smiled at the chained young man on her wall. "Your sister isn't very smart. She's such a bad girl." She scraped her nails along his bare chest. "It shouldn't be long now." She laughed. 

"What… do you… think you're…doing?" Tsukasa groaned.

"Anything I want." She slapped his face lightly. "And I won't let anyone get in my way."

"Why… are you… doing this?"

"Sweetheart you should really conserve your energy and stop asking ridiculous questions." She flipped her hair and waved behind her. "Well puppet, I have an errand to run I'll be back soon." She turned to walk away when Doumyouji called her back.

"Coward."

A snide smirk played on her lips. "I'm afraid of nothing." She closed her brown eyes and when she opened them again they were pitch black. "They're all afraid of me."

* * *

"Well," Tsubaki started. "When my brother and I were younger we were always alone." 

"It happens to a lot of rich kids, get to the point." Kimiko spat out rudely.

"Yeah, well it was a lot for me to handle. I was always doing things for school and for my mother, I barely had time for Tsukasa too, but I knew that if I wasn't there for him he would grow up socially retarded." She paused, thinking back to when it started.

"It started when he was eight. I would go into his room and he would be laughing by himself. I thought he was crazy, so I would have his friends from school come over more often. He started making excuses why his friends couldn't come over, at first, but after a while he would just refuse to see any of them."

"He spent more and more time alone and it scared me. I told him that it wasn't healthy for him to be alone so much, but he told me he wasn't alone, that he always had a friend with him.

"I called a psychiatrist, who had the nerve to tell me that imaginary friends were normal in lonely kids. I didn't like that answer, so I made it my personal responsibility to always be there for him. That's when this "friend" of his started to lash out."

"So when you started spending more time with Doumyouji, Minako started throwing tantrums." Himiko gave a worried look to her sister.

"You could say that. Things around the house started breaking, glass from picture frames, vases, and statues. Of course I blamed Tsukasa, but he was adamant about not doing it. I could forgive him almost anything, but I hated that he was lying to me. I punished him, but it didn't stop the mayhem around the house, in fact the acts became violent. Things started to go missing and would be found in ashes in the fireplace, you would walk out of a room and when you returned the room would be destroyed, and one of the maids was pushed down the stairs.

"I was at my wits end; I didn't know what to do. So I called my mom and her brilliant advice was to leave him alone. She said that the only reason he was acting out was because I was bothering him."

"How did you get rid of her?" Kimiko interrupted impatiently.

"I didn't. I did as I was told I left him alone, and when I came home the next day my room was a mess. My clothes were torn and strewn around the room. The pillows on my bed were popped, the feathers everywhere. Even the sheets on my bed were shredded.

"All I saw was red. I ran out of my room and into him. He was jumping happily on the bed laughing at me. I didn't even think about when I was doing. I just lunged at him and he dodged, but tripped and split him head open on the bed post."

Makino and Himiko gasped.

"He wasn't moving, there was blood everywhere and I couldn't even scream. All I could do was cry and hold his hand. That's when I saw her."

"You saw his imaginary friend?" Himiko interrupted this time.

"She wasn't imaginary, she was invisible. She was younger than Tsukasa, cute, with a long brown ponytail, mischievous brown eyes and a creepy smile. She walked up to him and then at me. Without any emotion in her eyes she asked me why I did it. "Why did you kill him?"

"She pushed me away from him and yelled that I messed everything up. Then she said that she could fix him. She me if I loved him, and of course I said yes, then she asked how much."

"She wanted your servitude." Kimiko shook her head.

"Exactly. Years went by and I never saw her again, so I put it out of my mind. Tsukasa didn't remember her, so I went on with my life."

"How did she come back into your life?" Himiko was intrigued.

"I don't know. It happened a few days after Tsukasa was stabbed."

"He was stabbed!" The twins exclaimed.

"Yeah, he almost died." Makino offered.

"We all joke that it was Tsukushi that saved him."

"You?" The older witches looked over at their novice who waved away any responsibility for Doumyouji's recovery.

"He was dying and she yelled through the window at him and his heart started beating." The little cat explained.

"Oh dear." Himiko poured herself a cup of tea.

"Why is that important?" Tsukushi looked over, concerned.

"Actually, it's what helped me find you." The voice alerted them to their uninvited guest.

"What the…?" Tsukushi's mouth gaped wide as she finally came in contact with her imposter.

"Minako!" Tsubaki was shocked to see her master.

"No." Himiko dropped her cup and stood from her lounge chair. She and her sister took fighting stances; Makino shielded the cat with her stance. "Minako is the family name Fuji gave her to protect all of us." Kimiko informed.

"That's right." Tsukushi's double laughed. "I was sent away like a criminal because I was born first. Fujioko loved and protected that weakling, all the while fearing that one day I might find her. Too bad for her, she was right."

"What are you?" Tsukushi asked not understanding.

"Not what? Baka. Who?" Minako rolled her eyes. "I'm not just your big sister, I'm your twin."

* * *

A/N: How was it? I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you Luis for the Minako/Makino change. Thank you Bridget for your fascinating story about your son's imaginary friend/ghost. Thank you for all of your suggestions, but I think this chapter is long enough with out all of the endless chatter I would have had to add to get your ideas across. 

**Yay! The end is near! **

** Please RxR.  
**


	12. How the Other Half Lives

_**A/N: az09: I'm glad you like Minako, I love her. But then again I've always had a thing for villains. You said that Tsukasa deserved falling, you only had half the story.**_

_**animeloverct: Welcome and thank you for reading. How embarrassing.  
**_

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_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I'm a hermit living on top of a rock under a bridge near you. Please don't sue me… I can't go to court naked._

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Chapter 12: How the Other Half Lives.

"My twin?" Tsukushi's knees faltered and she almost fell to the floor.

"Not very bright, are you?" Her mirror image laughed. "I guess I can't blame that on you, your mother did shelter you after all." She took a step toward her little sister and Kimiko positioned herself between her granddaughters.

"So what's this?" Minako smirked at the elderly woman's stance.

"You're not welcome here."

"So… you're going to attack me?" The soft laughter that escaped her throat made the other witches put up their guards. "What, do you plan on killing me?"

"If we need to." Himiko came to her sister's side.

"Here I am, unarmed, just here to meet my little sister, and this is how I'm being treated?" Her act wasn't fooling anyone and it made her snicker again.

"Excuse me if we don't trust you Yomogi, but the last time we saw you, you almost killed me." Himiko spat out.

"Yeah, about that." Minako half smirked and looked up as if bored. "If it's any consolation I was under a great deal of duress."

"None."

"Didn't think so."

Tsukushi couldn't understand why they didn't just attack her and make her tell them where Tsukasa was. "What business do you have with Doumyouji?" She finally worked up the courage to yell over Kimiko's shoulder.

"You know that's a long story." Her big sister held a finger to her lip as if pondering where to start.

"Save it." Kimiko drew her attention. "We've already heard how you met."

"Yeah, but you didn't hear about my business with him." She smiled devilishly wide and disappeared. When she reappeared she was so intimately close to Kimiko she whispered into her ear. "It's the same business I have with you."

Before anyone could react Minako had slid a sword through her grandmother far enough to cut Tsukushi standing behind her.

"KIM!" Himiko caught her sister before she hit the floor. Minako disappeared, the sword with her, appearing on her great aunt's lounge chair.

"Oh my god Kim." Himiko tried frantically trying to stop the crimson flood draining the life of her little sister.

"Oi, nee-chan." Tsukushi's eyes, red as the flames that boiled her anger, connected with her sister's glare. "I can see you're busy right now, and I respect that." She brought her blood stained hand to her mouth and licked one of her fingers. "When you're ready, I'll be waiting. Tsubaki knows where to find me."

Makino could tell that Minako was mocking her. Without thinking about the consequences she ran full speed at the smirking villain lounging in the lawn chair. Minako disappeared again and reappeared with her fist inches away from Tsukushi's face. Tsukushi barely had enough time to dodge, but swept her sister's feet from under her. Before falling to the grass Minako grabbed a handful of Tsukushi's hair bringing her down with her.

Makino's head hit the floor with a sickeningly loud thud. Minako vanished again and rematerialized behind her sister. Tsukushi's neck craned back to make room for the thin dagger that scraped across her throat.

"I didn't know you were in such a rush to die." Minako pressed the tip of the blade into her twin's neck and sighed when the limp teenager made no reaction. "Contrary to popular opinion I didn't come here to kill you." She was eerily calm. "You're useless to me dead." Makino's unconscious body wilted onto the grass below her.

"I don't understand why Kami can be so cruel. If only I'd've been born a few minutes after you I'd've been the one with the perfect life." Her expression was solemn, sort of far away, finally showing a chink in her armor. "I wish you could know what I've been through."

One last look at the havoc that she had caused made her smile. Himiko fought frantically against the unrelenting bleeding. Tsubaki gently nudged Makino's head trying to wake her. "Well, don't get up please, I'll show myself out." She chuckled as she backed away from the carnage she left in her wake. "Hey Tsubaki, make sure you bring sleeping beauty with you when she gets up. I'm not done with her yet." With that she disappeared on last time.

* * *

Tsukushi walked through a dark hallway. Each door identical to the one before it, each door locked giving her no way to escape. She felt her way along the walls of the maze-like halls. 

"Where am I?" She could here her voice echo endlessly down the narrowing passages. "Baa-chan? Himiko?" She called out, but no answer, just echo. "Hello? Tsubaki?" She tried again, still no answer.

After what felt like miles a staircase appeared and she looked up to the next landing, but couldn't see past a few steps. "What the hell?" She shrugged and started up the steps.

When she reached the landing she faced all the same doors she had just passed, and the stairs disappeared behind her. "What?" She jumped back shocked.

"Where is everybody?"

At the end of the hallway was a white door with a golden handle. It was the only different entrance on the floor. Slowly she ignored all of the identical barriers, not even trying them. She closed her eyes before pulling down on the handle, which clicked as it opened releasing a blinding flash of light that escaped the thin crack of the open door.

When her eyes had adjusted to the light in the room she realized she was standing in the guest room from Kimiko's house. The walls were still beige with a thin Grecian stenciling border dividing the walls in two. Different toys lay scattered throughout the floor, a sweet little girl with short pigtails playing happily with them ignoring the two women by the mirror.

"Baa-chan?" Makino's mouth gaped open looking at how young her grandmother looked with her wavy black hair falling delicately onto her shoulders.

"What are you going to do with her?" The women turned around and Tsukushi blinked twice as she looked at the woman from the picture on the steps. She was just as beautiful as she had thought she was, but shorter than she had imagined.

"I don't know what Fuji wants me to do with her." Kimiko sighed. "She's not even two years old yet; I can't believe her capable of the things Fuji says she's done."

'Fuji, so she's not my mom like I thought.' Makino thought about the conversation.

"Fuji said she's going to keep Tsukushi, and she asked **me** to ask **you** to keep Yomogi." Kimiko walked over to the little girl, who struggled to free herself from her grandmother's grasp.

"Okasa, how irresponsible can she be?"

'Oh god, that's Fuko.' Makino covered her mouth in shock at how the gruffy looking woman could have once looked so beautiful. 'Wait!' A picture of Fuko's first meeting flashed through her mind. 'Wasn't she like four foot tall? Did she shrink with time?'

"Fuko, please." Kimiko groaned, but smiled as the little girl in her arms began to giggle. Both women stood in shock as they looked at the child's outstretched arms. A flimsily thrown rag doll shook gently before it began to levitate toward Yomogi. When the doll reached her arms the child hugged it gaily.

"How?" Fuko asked aghast.

"I don't know." Kimiko was also shocked. "Maybe Fuji wasn't exaggerating. We're going to have to strip her of her powers."

"I don't think that'll work. She might me too powerful for that already." Fuko pointed out that the child had already turned the rag doll to a cuddly teddy bear.

"If she's this powerful, what about the younger one?"

"Fuji has already seen to that. She stripped her as soon as she was born?"

"Then the oracle?"

Kimiko sighed deeply. "Dies with me."

Brightness engulfed the room before Tsukushi could close her eyes. As the light ebbed she still had blinking floaters in her eyes. She was still in the same room, but Fuko now looked much more familiar, her haggard appearance a sharp contrast to her younger softer features. She wore her black hair short and underneath a baseball cap. She was back to her short self, no taller than the child she was fussing over.

Yomogi was older, but still only about six years old. "But why do I have to go?" She turned to show the adult that her once bright eyes were filled with tender depression.

"You know why." Fuko forcibly turned the child back so she could finish the two braided ponytails.

"I said I'm sorry." Minako whined trying to look back. "I didn't mean to hurt her."

"BUT YOU DID!" The short statured woman sounded as bereaved as she was angry. She shook the child violently and raised her hand to slap the cringing little girl before Kimiko entered the room and held her arm.

"Is she ready?" The cold tone in Kimiko's voice made Yomogi curl her hands into tight fury filled fists.

"YOU DID THIS." She screamed, the aura of the room changing dramatically in the child's rage. Tsukushi could feel the murderous intent fill her soul, and it sent a chill down her spine.

"You **will** calm down, or I **will** incapacitate you." Kimiko didn't waver.

"Please Fuko-sempai." A tear rolled down her cheek. "Don't send me away." Minako pleaded.

"I'm sorry Yomogi; I have so many other children to think about. I can't have you around them, you're dangerous."

"No, I'm not." She wiped her face roughly trying to fake a smile. "I promise I'll behave. I won't use anymore magic, I swear." She fell to her knees begging, her heart pouring through her eyes. "Please don't give up on me."

"I can't take that chance this time."

Minako hit the floor, her hands pulled into tight fists, her head buried in her lap. "I thought you loved me."

"YOU KILLED MY DAUGHTER!" Fuko exploded her calm disintegrating. "If you weren't my niece I would have killed you."

"Fuko!" Kimiko's tone was warning her not to say anymore.

"You're niece?" Minako looked up at her foster mother. "I thought I came to live with you because my family died. You've been my family all along?" She stared into the faces of the women before her. She was confused and getting angrier with every passing moment.

Himiko, who must have been waiting in the hall, came in. "You're parents died, yes, and we're your family, yes, but we had to keep this information from you, to keep you safe."

"I was in danger?"

"Yes, and you still are, that's why you're going away. We can't protect you here anymore." She pet Minako's head. "You'll like it in your new school. You'll become stronger; they can teach you to become stronger."

"You just want to get rid of me because I made a mistake." Yomogi's voice eerily calm, but her body shook with anger. "I'M NOT GARBAGE!" She yelled and the room became ice cold. Slowly the items in the room began to shake. Even Tsukushi, who was just a witness in this past event, felt the frigid cold at her core. Minako's hair pulled out of its braided restraints and lifted off of her shoulders wildly.

"Yomogi calm down this second!" Kimiko demanded.

Minako's eyes were closed but when she opened them her once bright brown eyes were replaced with a pitch black abyss. She opened her mouth to speak, but her breath was steadily becoming labored. "Don't talk to me as if you're in charge." Her voice was deep almost as if two voices were speaking at the same time. "This is all your fault."

"Don't make me hurt you." Kimiko's icy words did nothing but anger Minako further.

The items that were fighting valiantly against gravity suddenly lost and found themselves flying freely around the room orbiting around the axis which was the brown haired witch before them. "I'd like to see you try." A warning growl slid through her teeth.

Fuko, who trembled beside her mother, looked over at Himiko, who was now kneeling at Minako's feet, to tell her to put an end to the child's rage.

"Stop this Yogi." The eldest witch said almost in a whisper, she raised a hand through the violent winds to touch the slightly levitating little girl. "No one wants to hurt you."

"I never meant to hurt her. I swear." She looked down at the concerned face looking deeply at her. "I don't want to go." She hugged herself tightly. "I know that no one loves me, but please don't make me leave the only friends I've ever known." The sounds of her voices were softening. She was breaking down and the contents of the room began to fall all around them. "I've never had a mommy," she was crying again, "All I want is someone to tell me that they love me, that everything is going to be okay."

"Everything is going to get better, I promise, but you have to calm down." Himiko threw her arms around the child's shoulders and hugged her, surprise covering Minako's face. "It breaks my heart for you to say that no one loves you, because I love you. But I can't protect you, not if you don't help me."

"You love me?" Her eyes returning to normal, the violent winds ebbed around them as the rage dissipated from her body.

"Of course I love you." Himiko held to an arms length away. "We all do."

There was no reason to look around the room; Minako knew that none of the other faces she would see would have such a warm and inviting smile. It was a good thing she didn't, because Kimiko's face was blank and etched with a permanent scowl, while Fuko looked like she was going to be sick just being in the same room with the child that caused her daughter's death. The bitter distaste for her niece apparent in her eyes.

But she had heard what she wanted to, and at times like these self-inflicted ignorance was the best defense mechanism available to a six year old. Minako smiled sadly, her eyes betraying the emotion she was trying to project. "I'm sorry Himiko-sempai; I'm ready to go away now." She sniffled and caught from the corner of her eye a shift in Kimiko's body language. The menacing looking glare was traded for a relaxed frown.

"I'm sorry Kimiko-sempai, Fuko-sempai, I didn't mean to misbehave." Her voice almost pleading.

"You never do." The brief exchange left much to be desired, but at least it wasn't a direct attack and Himiko left it as it was, taking the child's hand and collecting her things before she walked her to the well in the backyard.

Tsukushi could see them all from the window, and even though she stood in an empty room she held herself trying to return even the slightest trace of warmth, but the endless chill that enveloped the room made it impossible. When she turned to walk out into the hall way she had walked into another room entirely. She wasn't even sure she was in the same house, and when she saw the occupants of this room, her suspicions were laid to rest.

Minako wasn't much older, but her hair was shorter maybe as long as Tsukushi's current hair style. She sat on the floor playing cards with a much younger Tsukasa. This must have been around the time Tsubaki was talking about.

"Yomogi-chan, nee-san doesn't want you around anymore." Doumyouji pushed her playfully and she fell on her butt.

"Hey!" She pushed back. "Be nice." Tsukasa, who didn't like being pushed around, chased Minako onto his bed where she was already jumping happily. "Why does your sister hate me?"

The little boy couldn't help but laugh. "Because you are a terror. You mess everything up." His face changed as he thought about something. "You know, maybe you should stop being so bad, every time you do bad things she gets mad at me."

"Well, I only do it because she said mean things about me." She stopped jumping and looked sincerely into the eyes of her playmate. "I promise after tonight I'll be good."

"Tonight?" Doumyouji looked confused. "What did you do now?"

She tried to stifle a giggle, thinking about her handy work. "N-n-nothin'."

"Yomogi!" He was seriously not amused, until she made a tickling motion with her fingers and he fell onto the bed in a fit of laughter. "M-mer-mercy."

"You're still my friend, right?"

"Of course." He wiped the tears that had pooled at the corners of his eyes. "Always."

Minako smiled ear to ear. "I'm so glad I met you." She started to jump again. "As long as we're friend, everything will be okay."

Doumyouji joined her in the fun. But like most good things it wasn't meant to last. Tsubaki came storming into the room, and even though it seemed she couldn't see her little brother's guest Tsukushi could.

Terror ripped through her sister's face, a sudden wave of remorse filling her. What Tsubaki's story had left out, was what she couldn't see. When she had pushed Tsukasa, he had fallen into Minako, who had pushed him into the bedpost.

'Oh, God.' Tsukushi covered her mouth. 'He didn't trip. Minako caused it.' She looked at the little girl who had retreated from the bed and now crouched in the corner, crying for what she had done.

"Kasa, Kasa." Minako covered her face saying his name as if it would bring him back. Tsubaki still crying over her fading brother, whose hands had become cold. "I can fix you." She stood shakily and walked over to the bloodstained scene.

The panicking teenager looked up as if she could finally see the other child. A few words were exchanged before Minako dropped to her knees and placed her hands on his head reawakening her fallen friend.

"Why did you do that?" He said weekly.

Tsubaki began to cry and hugged her brother, who was still covered in blood. "I'm sorry Tsukasa. I never meant to hurt you."

"No nee-san." He turned his head to look at the little girl who smiled very content with her successful resurrection. "Why did you push me?"

Minako looked down and away, anywhere except at her accuser.

Tsubaki tried to calm Tsukasa down. "No, baka, it was me, I pushed you." She wanted to take all the blame, because she didn't know what the two children fighting before her knew.

"Get you." It was almost a whisper that shocked his own ears. "I never want to see you again." Tsukasa was always unreasonable when he didn't get his way, but this was the first time he had ever felt betrayed, and the bitterness he felt wasn't going to be quieted with a few friendly smiles or a few parlor tricks.

"You said we would always be friends." Minako looked at her shoes crushing an imaginary bug into the carpet.

"My friend wouldn't hurt me."

"I didn't hurt you." She pointed, still unable to meet his eyes. "She did."

"Please leave." Tsukasa say another word. He curled up in his sister's arms and turned his back on the misty eyed best friend he had come to depend on.

Slowly she walked to the door, hand on the knob, and looked back at the small ball his body had formed. "If I leave, I'm not gonna be your friend anymore." She could see him cringe, but he remained silent. Looking into Tsubaki's confused eyes she could see all the remorse that she herself couldn't muster. "I'm sorry Kasa." She said more to herself than to anyone else. She could hear him muffling his sobs as he cried into his sister's shirt. "You were my best friend." She said as she walked out the door. When it had closed and she was on the other side she sighed deeply. "My only friend."

Tsukushi stood in the hallway with her big sister, but didn't know how she had moved. She opened the door leading back into Tsukasa's room only to walk into a very different location. Now she was in an abandoned gas station, at least she hoped it was a gas station. The store was run down, wooden planks on the windows, displays all toppled over and Rats running around the floor. Two men caught her attention as they stormed in.

"So what did you find out?" Minako was much older, at least fourteen. She wore her hair black with purple streaks, and short, as shorter than Sojiro's. She had on tight leather pants and black boots that reached her knees and the tight red halter top she wore was more of a tube top with spaghetti straps.

"Like I said before," A young man with spiky blond hair and green roots spoke first. "She's gotta be your twin, babe. She looks just like you, but she's a total geek." He had on a long black leather trench coat over a pitch black ensemble. "If you don't believe me, I brought a pic." He threw the photograph, one of Tsukushi and Yuuki, on the table and threw himself onto the tattered couch in the corner.

"That's Fukae's granddaughter." Minako said in disbelief.

"Yes and your twin sister." The other young man had very rodent like tendencies. He held is hands to his mouth as if he were going to eat something, but kept wiping his face. He had big blue orbs for eyes, and dark unruly hair. He wore a dirty green shirt and filthier faded jeans.

"She lives with her mother, father and little brother in Tokyo." The blond looked as if he were talking in his sleep.

"There's no way my family is still alive. Someone would have told me. I would have found out before now." She was freaking out and snapped her fingers setting the picture ablaze.

"So why is her name Makino Tsukushi?"

"Tsukushi and Yomogi are both weeds…" The dirty looking boy trailed off.

"Needed for potions and charms." She finished.

"Minako and Makino." The blonde didn't even bother removing his arm that lay draped over his face. "It's not very clever, but enough to hide the truth."

She rubbed her forehead violently.

"They probably changed your name to protect your sister."

"Protect her from what?"

"Well, Yomogi, you do have a horrible temper." The young man with the blue hair hopped up onto the counter, but was rudely removed when Minako flung her arm. He hit the floor with a thud. She was silent as she rained discarded items onto him. Shelves, loose tiles, and displays battered the cowering young man.

"If anything, they gave me my temper." She stopped that assault and he started to pick himself up when he saw her snap her fingers. Almost instantly he felt the burning in the pit of his stomach that ate through him burned him inside out.

Minako disappeared and before Tsukushi could realize what was going on they both stood in their grandmother's house.

"KIMIKO-SEMPAI?! HIMIKO-SEMPAI?!"

"What are you doing Yomogi?" A much older Himiko came walking down the stairs.

"Where's Fuko? I went to her home and she doesn't live there."

"She's with her family." Himiko answered suspiciously. "They moved when they found out you had escaped." She paused wishing she had chosen her words more carefully with such a volatile witch. "I mean quit school."

"You can say escaped. That place was a prison and you know it." She shrugged leaned against the far wall. "I never meant anyone any harm. I made a lot of mistakes as a kid and I think I paid more than my share of heartache." Looking deeper into Himiko's eyes Minako gave a cool and bone chilling smirk. "I only came here to find out about my mother."

The elder witch tried to hide the surprise in her eyes, but failed when she couldn't make contact with the irate teenager glaring at her. The sneer faded when the realization that what the boys had said was true finally dawned on her. They were right, her family was alive and they had been hiding from her all along. "W-wh-why?" She stammered the word barely audible of the sound of her own breathing.

"We did what was best for the family." Kimiko's cold voice and unwavering signature scowl demanded Minako's attention. She entered the room from the kitchen area and crossed her arms as she took a stand beside her twin. "Your mother didn't want magic in her life, so she stripped your sister of her powers and left you yours. She sent you to live with us so you could have a normal childhood, for a witch anyway, but you were much stronger than we had anticipated. Had we known what you were going to grow up to be…" She trailed off, this new thought not help with her frigid demeanor. "Your mother was a weakling." Kimiko redirected. "She put a safeguarding spell over you so we wouldn't be able to hurt you, but that didn't stop you from hurting others."

"My mother?" The words seemed so foreign in her mother, but this had been the reason she had journeyed into her past.

"That's what you came here for, right?"

"Where is she?" The hope that shone in Minako's eyes made Himiko, who had stood quietly watching the exchange, release a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Why are you looking for her Yogi? She's been dead to your whole life, why open up old wounds?"

"Be-because…" Minako couldn't form a complete sentence. It was true she had come with the intention of getting information about her parents, but she had never anticipated the response. What did she want from this woman she never knew, who had basically kicked her own daughter out of her life without getting to know her? Did she really think that after all these years she could walk up to her mother and not harbor a bitter distaste for being abandoned? Did she think that after all that she had done, that this unknown family would be able to accept her with open arms? The road to self discovery was paved with the blood of the people she had hurt, maimed, and killed.

"There's nothing for you there." Kimiko's tone left no room for argument.

"I just …" Why couldn't she speak? Minako was one of the most feared and respected witches in their world. How could these fragile looking old witches intimidate her to the point of practically whimpering?

"They have no magic for you to steal." Himiko's eyes were uncharacteristically cold. Minako could tell that any love she bore for the child back before they had sent her away had long since dissipated into the ether, along with the dreams Minako once had for living a normal life.

"I wouldn't!" The accusation burned no matter how untrue it was.

"Yomogi just go. We have no information that we care to share with you. As you've been told you're not welcome here." Those eyes, they set her skin ablaze. Those arms that had once held her tightly consoling her were now crossed and uninviting. Himiko had grown bitter over the years and Minako didn't know what was worse: having the only person who ever loved her like a mother, like a friend, look at her with such disdain, or knowing that she was completely alone in a world that hated her as much as she hated it.

She wanted to cry, but all the tears had dried years before. Life on the streets had taken away any trace or humanity she had left. Even now she didn't know why but she felt scared and trapped, like an animal, and her primal instincts too charge.

Tsukushi felt the change first. It wasn't the same was when Minako was a child. The cold that filled the room was substantially more aggressive. "If you want me to go, make me."

Kimiko raised an inquisitive brow. "You do know that if I have to stop you, I will kill you?"

"Better to die here with my family than at the hands of people who never understood me," she paused before she vanished leaving Himiko and Kimiko looking around wildly. "But then you never did understand me either." She whispered into Himiko's ear.

Kimiko was the first to attack, swinging at the teenager.

"You need to do better than that old crow." She punched the scowl that mocked her even in her dreams.

Himiko didn't stand idly by as she roundhouse kicked the aggressor, sending her slamming into the wall.

Minako wiped the blood that tricked down the side of her mouth. "Better, but still not good enough." She charged at her targets attacking both at the same time. Even though they were surrounding her, the twins were still little match for her. With a head butt Minako sent Kimiko to the floor and turned to Himiko.

"I've always respected you, so I'll make this quick."

Himiko took a step back before trying a failed attempt at a tried punch. Minako grabbed her arm and pulled it hard bring her with inches of the warrior's face. "I was, but I've changed my mind."

Tsukushi closed her eyes when she heard Himiko's pain filled wail. The sound seeped through the hands she held over her ears.

"Please let me go back." She recited like a mantra, but over her own voice she could still hear Himiko's scream. It wasn't until she could feel the grass crunch under her weight that she realized that the screaming was different. She lifted her head and saw the kitten sigh.

"God, Makino, you scared me." She lowered her head.

"Kimiko!" The past caught up to her and she remembered that her grandmother was fighting for her life. Himiko was still crying when Makino returned to her side. She didn't have to say anything; Kimiko lay lifeless in her twin's lap.

There wasn't time for tears. Tsukushi leaned forward and kissed her grandmother's forehead before she stood.

"Where do you think your going?" Himiko growled, her head still bowed. She didn't need to hear Makino's answer to know. "_**Don't you see that she'll kill you. You're no match for her.**_" Her voice was raised, but she wasn't screaming. Tsukushi assumed she was trying to be strong.

"You don't have to worry about me." Tsukushi walked toward the house. "I'm not an experienced witch, but I have something that she doesn't have."

"But you don't know how to use the oracle! I don't even know how."

"I don't need the oracle." Tsukushi signaled Tsubaki to come with her. "I have people who love me. That's all I've ever needed."

* * *

_A/N: Wow! That was the longest chapter ever. A little window into the world of Minako Yomogi. I really didn't want the chapter to be this long, but I didn't know where to cut it or where to trim off unnecessaries. If there are any unbearable typos please let me know. If you think certain parts are crop-able please let me know. I like this chapter. __**A lot**__. So I have no problem with people telling me how I can make it better._

_Again I'm sorry that I've been so slow to update. I promise chapter 13 will be much faster. I've also decided that this story should be over by chapter 16-17 so bully for me. _

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**As always please Read and Review. Not just this story, all stories. It really does motivate the writer to push out chapters faster. **


	13. The Cavalry

Yuuki stood staring at her watch, waiting for her shift to end. It had been hours since Rui left and Okami would be arriving any minute to relieve her. Begrudgingly she wiped the counter tops counting down the seconds to her freedom.

A bright light shone from the direction of the entrance and Yuuki looked up to see Tsukushi walking through it.

"What the hell?"

"I don't have time to explain, I need you to help me."

"Help you do what?" Yuuki could barely contain her surprise. Even being brought up a witch, she wasn't experienced enough to not be astounded by all of magic's possibilities.

"It's a really long story, but Doumyouji's been kidnapped." Makino explained.

"Kidnapped?" Yuuki asked incredulously. "Who would be stupid enough to kidnap a Doumyouji? And even so, what am I supposed to help you do?"

"You're a witch. Teach me a few things, you know, just enough to help me keep from getting killed." Her friend urged.

"Magic's not that simple and I'm not that skilled, especially not in battle. You should ask your mom." The little blonde waved her hands as if to discourage the fiery brunette.

"I've tried looking for her, but everything's dark." Tsukushi feared the worse. The only people she couldn't find with the mirror were her mother and Tsukasa. She just hoped Minako didn't have them both.

"Then what about your grandmother?" She offered hopefully only to be answered with a deep and saddened glare.

"She was attacked tonight, by the same girl who has Doumyouji and probably my mom." Tsukushi pushed past her friend and headed toward the little dressing room they had in the back. "If you can't help me, I'll do it by myself."

"I never said I wouldn't help you, I just wouldn't know how to teach you anything." Yuuki placed a strong and supportive hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Arigatou Yuuki." Tsukushi raised the hand held mirror to the full length mirror in the changing room and she asked to see Tsubaki. The little kitten's image replaced her own. "Lock up; we kinda have to go now." Yuuki did as she was told and held onto Tsukushi's arm tightly before stepping through the mirror.

* * *

"It shouldn't be long now." Minako swayed up to Tsukasa's limp and exhausted body. "You're little girlfriend should be on her way."

"Don't…you…touch…her." He had meant it as a threat, but it came out as a pained whisper.

"Oh, I don't think you're in a position to threaten me." She snapped her fingers and a jolt of electricity ran through the chains that held him, filling the room with his agonized scream.

"You'd…better…kill…me…" He trailed off before she punched him in the face to quiet him.

"Don't give me any ideas, Tsukasa. The only reason you're still alive is because I need the oracle." She lifted his face squeezing the sides of his mouth to make a fishy face. "Don't think for a minute that I need you for anything other than getting what I want. That's all I ever needed you for." With that she let his head fall to his chest.

"She's gonna…kill you." He said a little clearer now.

Minako laughed as she snapped her fingers one more time sending his howl echoing through the room. She opened the door and closed it behind her. "I'd like to see her try."

A cat with gray and black fur waited for Minako on the other side of the door. "Yomogi-sama," The little cat seemed to bow. "She's here."

"Don't worry, Tsubaki will show her in."

"But, she's not alone. There's another witch with her, that little friend of hers that dates Nishikado-sama. Do you want us to get rid of her?"

Minako looked bored with the idea. "Do whatever you want," she rolled her eyes, "but don't slow Tsukushi down. I've been waiting long enough."

* * *

Makino, Yuuki, and Tsubaki stood in front of a seemingly normal apartment building. It wasn't anything special, almost the same as her old apartment. It had four or five floors, peeling plaster and broken windows. If Tsubaki hadn't demanded that Minako were inside, neither girl would have blinked twice at such a monstrosity of a complex.

"Tsukasa's being held on the third floor." Tsubaki reported.

"Then let's go get him." She took a step forward only to have a hand pull her back. Yuuki held her friend's arm tightly, but looked down at the floor shyly.

"It's not going to be that easy." She told her shoes. "I'm sure that this is a trap."

"Even if it is, we can't let her kill him!" Tsukushi shook off her friend's grip. "If you don't want to help you don't have too. I told you that. You could have stayed at the dango shop." Her words were icy, Yuuki could barely believe that it was Tsukushi talking like this.

"So what? You exchange your life for his?" The petite blonde fought back.

"If I have to."

"Good answer." A voice from the front of the building called to their attention. "I'm glad you're willing to die, because you will."

Tsubaki tensed and hissed at the three identical cats that stood at the doorway. "Tsukushi be careful those three are dangerous."

Tsukushi took a fighting stance and protectively pushed Yuuki behind her. "Where's Minako?" She yelled over to the three.

"Inside. Doumyouji-sama is in there too." The middle feline announced. "But you'll have to get through us first." Before either witch could react the cats were on their hind legs with their paws together. A black wall appeared behind the three would-be-saviors and Tsukushi barely had enough time to push Yuuki out of the way before the four sides boxed her and Tsubaki inside.

"TSUKUSHI!" Yuuki yelled as she sat sprawled on the concrete sidewalk. The box began to shrink, as if disappearing into the pavement. Yuuki scrambled to her feet trying to catch the box before it vanished completely, but she was too late. She turned to the three cats that stood on all fours, seemingly quite pleased with their work. They transformed before her eyes and Yuuki gasped as she realized who the three felines were.

"Asai and company." She couldn't believe her eyes as those three horrible girls from the trip to Canada appeared before her.

"Now it's just you and us."

* * *

Inside the box Tsukushi and Tsubaki couldn't hear or see anything. They couldn't even hear their own voices as they screamed to each other. It hadn't felt as if they had moved, but when the sides of the box began to disintegrate they saw that they were now inside the building. Tsukushi was awed by the endless hallway of doors. 'This is the hallway from my dream.' She thought to herself before the realization hit her.

"Yuuki…" Tsukushi quietly mumbled as she feared for her friend outside.

Tsubaki had already taken off down the hallway when she called out for Makino to follow her. With only the little feline as her guide, Tsukushi ran past hundreds of doors and up and down several flights of stairs.

Finally out of breath, Tsukushi bent over, her hands on her knees, trying to calm down her aching body. "Where are we?" She whispered to the kitten.

"He should be on this floor." Tsubaki finally whispered back. "Unless she's using magic to cover his presence, there should be two large double doors right here."

"I think I know what's going on here. Let me take a look." Tsukushi put her hands to the walls and closed her eyes. "I need to find him. Let me find him." The walls seemed to vibrate with her intentions and starting from the base of the wall the wood paneling from the doors began to appear.

When they walked inside, the room would have been pitch black if not for the small flame that burned on the farthest wall. Almost as if starving for the fresh oxygen that entered the room the flame grew stronger and set off a chain reaction. Within moments the room was filled with light as one torch lit the other all around the room.

Their eyes darted from wall to wall until Tsukushi's breath caught in her throat. Hung on a slab of concrete, like a lifeless scarecrow, was her query. He has lines of crusted blood on his face and his shirt had been darkened with once red, now maroon, stains. She ran toward him, but stopped when she saw the volt of electricity flow from the chains that bound him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She heard Minako's voice over Tsukasa's pain filled yell.

"LET HIM GO!" Tsukushi ordered at the top of her lungs. "You have me. Now let him go!"

"As noble as that is, and I can attest that that is the most noble thing that anyone has ever told me, you can't begin to presume that you know what I want." Minako appeared from a shielded space behind the slab. "I want the both of you dead. I want the oracle and I want **your** mother to pay for all the pain that she caused me."

Tsukushi pushed Tsubaki behind her as Minako continued. "Oh, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. I plan to destroy your entire family line and anyone who's ever heard of you. I'll watch as the Makino, Doumyouji and Amawa families fold underneath my thumb."

"Do us all a favor Yomogi, go kill yourself." Tsukushi did everything she could to block the punch that came hurtling toward her, but she still ended up slamming into the wall ten feet behind her.

"Don't you **dare** talk to me like that. _Remember,_" She started in a tone laced in sarcasm. "_You're the __**little**__ sister!_" Almost as blinding as the punch had been she stood on top of Tsukushi's bent over frame. "I'll always be better than you." She hissed.

"Yeah…" Tsukushi retorted with half lidded eyes. She wasn't as fast as her sister, but her return shot made her sister stumble a few steps back. "But are you stronger than me?"

Minako hadn't expected the kick to the stomach, or the roundhouse return, but she was able to block them both. "Pathetic." She back handed Tsukushi sending her flying to the middle of the floor. "You think that the little hand to hand combat Kimiko taught you is going to do something against me. Bitch I'll bury you."

Tsukushi was going to retort when she felt a hand go over her mouth.

* * *

Asai stood on the hood of a parked car, perched over the fight, while Ayuhara blocked the entrance to the building. Yuuki lay on the pavement. Her face, arms and legs covered in scrapes and bruises. She had fended off her advisories as best she could, but it was a three on one fight and she wasn't being modest when she told Tsukushi that she was very ill-equipped for defensive magic.

"I think we're being too easy on her." Yamano laughed, since Yuuki was now at her feet. "I think we should punish her for thinking that she's good enough to touch our Nishikado-sama too." She started to kick Yuuki, but she was knocked off balance causing her to fall to the floor.

In unison all three felonious girls screeched "_What the hell?!_"

* * *

Tsukushi heard her sister let out a betraying gasp and even though the thought of being restrained worried her, she wondered why Minako was looking around the room as if she couldn't see her.

"Shhh. Don't say a word."

Tsukushi's head spun around to the sound of her mother's voice. Her eyes almost popped out of her head when she didn't see her mother, but the woman from the picture on the staircase. Her hair was not just black as the night, but it was long and wavy too. She wore a light blue dress, but it looked more like fogged ice than material. "She can't see you as long as I have you, so don't worry."

"Oh how convenient." Minako started with her arms crossed, her annoyed expression betrayed her cool tone. "I'm either up against Fujioko's invisibility, or Fuko's teleportation. Personally, I hope it's both. I've been looking to kill you two for far too long."

A voice from the far end of the room drew Minako's attention to the empty wall where Tsukasa had been hanging. "Personally, I wish I had had the better sense to kill you when I met you." Fuko mimicked her niece's stance. She looked so different now. Tsukushi almost yelped at the dramatic change. She was the mirror image of Fujioko. The short round woman she had met before paled in comparison to the stunning lighting bolt that stood there now opposing the woman that had killed, Kimiko, her mother.

"I need to get you out of here." Fujioko started. "Doumyouji-sama is in the hall with the little black cat. He wasn't responding to anything we could do to wake him. We suspect that Yomogi has him under a spell or something. You need to do what you can to get him out of here." She watched as her mother nodded to Fuko and when Fuko closed her eyes Tsukushi found herself in the hallway with Tsukasa and Tsubaki.

* * *

"I'm sure you didn't mean to lay a finger on my granddaughter, so I won't punish you if you run away right now."

"Grandfather?" Yuuki didn't think this day could get any weirder, but when Fukae appeared behind her in a black suit looking like an older, not as formally dressed, Tuxedo Mask she didn't put anything passed this day.

* * *

_A/N: Man I've turned into one of those once every two months updaters. I never meant for that to happen. I'm sorry._

_I actually yelled at myself, sat down and worked on my story. I hope you enjoyed it, I know I did._

_BTW: I was trying to get the names of Asai's friends and I found out, not that I cared before, that Yamano's given name is Minako. I assure you that that is merely coincidence. They are not the same character. (and even though I'm sure none of you thought that she was, I thought that I should put this in just in case.)_

_Oh, and another BTW: I know felonious means criminal, stemming from the same root as felon or felony, but I'm using it to mean that they're "bad guys" and I liked it because it sound like feline. Hehehe, cats, hehehe.  
_

_**Anyway, as always Read and Review.**_

**O****h, I almost forgot: I don't own HYD or any other mangas. I don't claim to own them and I don't make money off of writing these stories. I also do not belong to a file share network like Kaaza or Limewire. I do have a ITunes account and all of my music comes from there. Please don't sue me. I have no money.**_**  
**_


	14. A Look Inside

_A__/N: Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement it means so much. Look guys, it didn't take me two months this time._ Enjoy!

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**Disclaimer: I don't own HYD or any of its characters.**

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"Grand…father?" Asai almost choked on her laugh. "So now you need your granddad to save you?"

"It's you who'll need saving." Fukae raised his hand and Asai screamed as she levitated high above the car she had been perched on.

"Asai!" Yamano and Ayuhara called out in unison. They prepared to attack the seasoned warlock only to be swatted away by the wind generated by the swing of his other hand.

"Are you okay to stand?" Fukae asked Yuuki who was still floored by his appearance. When he received a nod he tossed Asai against the building. "Fuko and Fuji are in the building helping your friends. We need to go back them up." He announced marching past the crumpled forms of Yomogi's henchwomen.

"What about them?" Yuuki practically had to run to keep up with his long strides.

"Maybe you're right." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "My power moves you..." All three bodies lifted slightly off the ground. "My will binds you..." Their bodies flew together knocking their head into each other. "And my mercy confines you." A dome of glass began to form around the three witches. "That should take care of them." He shot a look at Yuuki who took a deep breath. "Now let's go help your friends."

* * *

Tsukushi ran up to Tsukasa's seemingly lifeless body. She was on her knees and leaning over him. "He hasn't moved." Tsubaki reported. "Not once since that woman brought him here."

"Ok, let's see what I can do." Tsukushi placed her fingertips on his temples and closed her eyes. "I want him to wake up." She sat back and waited, but there was no change in his condition. "Wake up." She shook him gently, but desperation getting the best of her she slapped him, but still no change.

"What's wrong with him, Tsukushi?" Tsubaki's concern filled her voice.

"I don't know." Tsukushi closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing. "I'm going to try something, but I don't know if it'll work." She removed the oracle from its hiding place underneath her shirt. "If Minako's using a spell to control him I may not be strong enough to break it, but I'll try."

She held onto the oracle tightly with one hand, while placing her other hand on his forehead. She closed her eyes and whispered, "Let me help him."

Tsubaki jumped back as Tsukushi's body fell to the floor. "Tsukushi?" The little cat worriedly yelled as she tried to nudge her awake. "Oh, god, what's happening?"

* * *

Fujioko's shroud disappeared and she now stood where Tsukushi had been. "It's good to finally meet you…" Yomogi chuckled at the thought. "…Okasan."

"All you've done is prove to me that I was right in sending you away. You're dangerous and a threat to my family."

"Family? I'm your daughter, O-ka-san! I am your family."

"You wish." Fujioko hadn't been witness to Minako's blinding speed, if Fuko hadn't teleported her to the other side of the room the blade Minako had created would have done more damage. Even now Fujioko held her hand tightly to the wound on her side. "You two are the perfect tag-team. I'll give you that." She said cleaning the smear of blood off of her blade with the hem of her dress. "But I knew this day would come and I've prepared for it."

"That's why you came back here?" Fuko still didn't understand why Minako had made their old home her battleground, but it didn't really matter in the long run.

"I came back home." Minako seemed to look away nostalgically. "I came to where it all started for me. My powers awakened in this very room. My whole life was here until you got rid of me." The air pressure in the room thickened and got colder. Both sisters knew that they need to end this before it got out of hand, or they would end up like their mother.

Fuko and Fujioko both disappeared but Minako just closed her eyes and batted away their attacks. Each punch was blocked, each spell deflected and each kick returned. "I told you I've been preparing for this day." She reached forward and held Fujioko's neck tightly in her grasp. The shroud disappeared revealing both sisters. "It looks like your biggest fear has finally been realized. You feared that I would grow stronger than you and kill you, and now I will."

"You know nothing about what I fear." Fujioko grabbed frantically at Minako's hand, which was slowly lifting her off of her feet. "My biggest fear will never be realized." She choked out. "Because Tsukushi will never give you the oracle."

Fuko closed her eyes, "Sand melt away to shine, sharpened by god's sorrow, molded by his wrath, protection for man." A sword manifested in her hand from the dust the swirled on the floor at her feet. The blade wasn't meant to cut off Minako's arm, but it did startle her enough to drop Fujioko before she could kill her.

* * *

Tsukushi's eyes fluttered open as she tried to take in her surroundings. It looked like she was in a cave, but one side was a wall of brightly lit office like rooms and the other side was like a dark forest. Just looking into the darkness seemed to swallow ever ounce of her energy as if it were trying to devour her soul.

"Who are you, lady?" Tsukushi remembered seeing this boy before, but where? She looked into his eyes, but it was as if she were looking into an abyss. There was no happiness in his eyes, no life, _no soul_.

"My name…" She started, until she realized that she didn't remember. She legitimately didn't remember who she was. "I'm sorry." She smiled as sweetly as she could. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember."

"Baka." The little boy rolled his eyes and started to walk away. "How can you not know your own name?"

Tsukushi followed behind him. Together they traveled in between the light and the darkness, never entering either world. "What's your name?" Tsukushi inquired, only to have the boy spin around looking quite angry with her question.

"You're as rude as you are stupid." The little boy crossed his arms obviously annoyed. "You don't ask another person's name without giving your own." He scolded.

"But I told you I don't know my name. Maybe hearing your name will remind me of my name." She started to get annoyed with this little brat's attitude. Where did he get off talking back to her?

"That's stupid." The boy yelled. "I've always been here." He reported. "You just got here, how would my name remind you of yours if you've never met me before?"

Tsukushi almost growled. "Why you…you never know!" She was yelling back when something clicked in her head, a memory of the little boy jumping on the bed with a little girl. They where laughing together, but that couldn't be the same boy, she shook her head to try and regain perspective of this situation. This little boy was so angry; his eyes have no life, whereas the little boy in the memory was full of life and happiness.

"What's your problem?" He asked his hands on his hips now.

"I think I know you." She whispered.

"That's impossible." He waved off the idea. "I don't know you." He stopped and took a good look at her face. "But you do look like my best friend. A little." He gave her a little hint into his world.

"Yo…mogi?" Tsukushi's mouth moved before her brain could stop her.

"You know her?" A small spark came to life in the little boy's eyes. "She hasn't come to see me. Do you know what happened to her?" He pulled at Tsukushi's arm, pressing her for answers.

"I don't…" She started to think, but the thoughts emptied out of her head the second tried. "I don't know."

"Useless." The little boy was back to sulking just as quickly. "Let's go." He started walking away again.

"Where are we going?" Tsukushi didn't know where this odd child was leading her, but she followed nonetheless.

* * *

This building was like a maze. From the outside there were only four or five flights, but inside the corridors seem to stretch on forever and each floor led to the same floor they had just left. "Grandfather, what's going on? We've been running around for hours."

"It only feels that was Yuuki. It's only been a few minutes since we entered. You're right though, we have walked right into a labyrinth. It's a spell to keep intruders out so they don't interfere."

"The fight." Yuuki realized slowly.

"Yes. Yomogi doesn't want anyone to interfere with what she has planned. She probably let Fuko and Fujioko in so she could exact her revenge on them, but us we're just pests to her."

"Pests?" She smiled when the thought hit her. "I think I have an idea that'll work." She placed her hands on the walls. "Search through the maze to find your bait and expose the cat you were born to hate." A hole appeared in the paneling and a flood of mice rushed toward Yuuki's desired "bait."

"Rhyming, that's cute; but, great job." Fukae messed up Yuuki's hair as they ran side by side.

"Yeah, they'll seek out Tsubaki, if I said the spell right, and where we find her we find Tsukushi."

* * *

Tsukushi could see the two worlds merging at the end of this "road." There was a door where the two converged. "You never answered my question." She directed to the little boy.

"Cause you ask too many questions."

Ignoring his little snide remark, she found herself mesmerized by her surroundings. In the darkness, if you looked very carefully you could see fighting. Usually it was more than a few men ganging up on one man in the center, but at times it was a one on one fight. In the midst of the light there was nothing. It was almost as if she were walking down a television studio set that had been abandoned; one empty room after the other, each room immaculate, but at the same time cold and barren.

Something caught the corner of her eye and she stopped to inspect the sterile looking room.

"What are you doing?" The little boy called over to her from a few paces ahead.

"Something's moving in there." She didn't look away from the room in fear that she'd miss the moving object.

"There's nothing in there." He returned to her side and started to pull her arm. "We've got to keep going." It sounded as if he were pleading with her, but his face remained indifferent.

"Wait." She squinted her eyes against the blinding white light and could barely make out a scrunched up figure in the corner. "There's defiantly something in there." She took a step toward the light and was violently pulled back.

"You can't go in there." The little boy urgently tugged at her arm. "Yomogi says he has to stay in there alone. He isn't allowed any visitors."

Tsukushi finally looked down at the face of the little boy. "Who is he?" She searched his face for the emotion to match the strain in his voice, but all he wore was a blank stare.

"That doesn't matter." He let go of her and started walking away. "Let's go, we're almost there."

"Almost where?"

"Again with all of the questions." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, just come."

* * *

There was little that Fuko and Fujioko could do against Minako, she was stronger, faster and more adept to their powers than they were to hers. No matter how strong they had once been she made them seem like amateurs.

"Are you almost done?" Minako was toying with them now. In her first attack she had wounded Fujioko and the pain was staring to slow her down. She was preparing for their next attack when she felt her arms grow heavy. She couldn't escape the attack and cringed as Fuko's blade slid into her shoulder.

"Does that answer your question?" Fukae's booming voice filled the room.

"I don't have any bad blood with you, old man." Minako held her hand to the wound on her shoulder. "Stay out of this."

"If you have a problem with my little sisters, you have a problem with me." He walked into the room as if he were invincible. He stood proudly in front of his sisters as if he were a wall protecting them.

"I'm trying to give you a chance Fukae-san. I don't want to kill you." A black haze covered her hand and she held it tightly to her shoulder. Slowly the blood stopped leaking past her fingers.

"Healing magics? Flash steps? Morphing powers? What have you done to yourself?" Fukae's words weren't out of anger, but out of concern.

"I was alone. I did what I had to do. I did what none of you would do for me. I PROTECTED MYSELF." She lunged forward and attacked Fukae sending him flying past his sisters and into the far wall where Doumyouji had hung, but her attack didn't stop there. She jumped on top of him and repeatedly punched him with all of her might. "Do you know how many people wanted to hurt me? Do you know how many witches I needed to kill? My blood and all of their blood is on your hands."

She jumped back and surveyed her damage. The once powerful and statuesque man who had proudly claimed that he would save his sisters was now a huddled lump of a man blooded and bruised beyond recognition.

"No one is responsible for your actions except you, Yomogi." Minako turned to face the voice behind her and there stood Fukae, not a drop of blood anywhere on him. She spun around to look at the heap of folded skin beneath her in time to see it shimmer away.

"Good trick." She smiled without turning around. "I'll have to remember to steal it when I kill you."

* * *

Fukae had left Yuuki at Tsukushi's side, but she was just as anxious and worried about the passed out witch as Tsubaki had been, which was no help. "Do you think we should move them, it sounds like the fight is getting serious?" Yuuki sat on her knees wringing her hands nervously in her lap.

"I don't know." Tsubaki sighed. "Tsukushi didn't tell me anything. She just passed out."

Yuuki moved Tsukushi lightly to try and roll her on to her back. "What's in her hand?" She reached for it and it sent a shock through her arm. "Ow!" She cried out protectively holding her hand.

"That's the oracle." A wave of sadness coursed through her as the reality of the situation hit her. "That's what Minako is fighting for. That necklace holds within it the power to destroy the world."

"Why would Tsukushi have it?"

"Because it's the power that's passed down through her line. She's its new wielder, but it just might kill her."

* * *

Two large doors stood before them. One door was white, the other black. She felt microscopic in front of them, but when she looked down at the little boy and he seemed unfazed, she quickly recovered.

"Is this where you wanted to take me?"

"Yes."

He turned to leave and she called out to him. "Where are you going?"

"I brought you here right? It's your job to go in, not mine."

"Oh," She looked back at the doors and stared in wonder. How was she supposed to open such larger doors? "You never answered any of my questions?" She quickly turned back remembering that she didn't even know the boys name.

"That's not my job either." Was his only reply.

* * *

_A/N: Well, there you have it. What's behind those doors, only my husband and I know (because I don't stop talking about it.) Hope you liked it. if you think there's a way to improve the chapter in anyway let me know, I personally felt it was dry in a few places, but the people I forced into reading it though it was good. Anyway, Later!_


	15. New Twins

_A/N: Hello everyone who is still reading this... I know that it's been like 3 years since I've updated this story, but I have been working really hard on this chapter. I hope that you like it. I will definately have the next chapter up before the new year. The next chapter is supposed to be the last chapter. Thank you for sticking with me while I finish this. _

_BTW: When I first thought about writing this chapter I had Evanescence's "Hello" in mind. I've always seen the first scene as a dark maze..._

* * *

**Chapter 15: New Twins**

Well," Tsukushi pushed on the enormous doors, "now or never." The doors flew open as if they were weightless and bathed her in a blinding white light as she fell forward onto her face.

Before she could register how much her body hurt from such a sudden fall she was being lifted into a warm embrace. The familiar scent that enveloped her made her heart flutter and her eyelids heavy. Her head reflexively leaned into his well toned chest; his lithe arms around her made her feel whole, made her feel safe.

"I believe you."

'Believe what?' Her mind was so lost in the feel of him. So this was all just a dream. She snuggled closer to him only to have him pull away.

"Let's go."

"Go… where?" This all seemed too familiar. No, this wasn't a dream. This already happened! She looked down at her clothes and noted she was in her uniform. Sweater instead of her blazer, she hadn't forgone the blazer since… 'No. I wasn't wearing this.'

"To my house."

'No.' Her mind was reeling. 'What happened? What happened to… that girl and…and…' There was nothing. As hard as she tried to fight the fog that filled her mind she couldn't. 'I'm supposed to be doing something… but what?'

"Put this on." He removed his sweater and placed it over her head, his scent covering her making the fog deeper. Without a second thought he lifted her into his arms and she remained quiet, happily nestled in his arms.

"I'm not putting you down. I've finally got you. How can I put you down?"

'I didn't… ask you to… this… time…' Awareness slapped her across her face as she realized the error. "GET OFF ME!" She yelled pulling at his arms that held her so secure. When he wouldn't let go and his grip tightened she did the only thing she could think of, she punched him as hard as she could.

Her body fell with a painful thud as her butt met the concrete.

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?" He yelled glaring down at her while rubbing his face.

Tsukushi looked at him incredulously. How could he not know? How could this not be familiar to him too? This was the night he told her he loved her. This night was ingrained in her mind. "I love you, Tsukasa."

His eyes flickered with an indescribable joy that made him smile, making him that much more handsome. "Thank you." He pulled her into a breath taking bear hug. "I love you too. I love you so much."

Tsukushi fought for air, pushing lightly on his chest. A rumble in the distance caught her attention. 'It hadn't rained that night.' She recalled, but true to the dark clouds overhead and the thunder in the distance, small drops began to tap at the top of her head.

"You mean it right? You really love me." His question caught her off guard; he seemed so vulnerable and insecure. Of course she loved him. Her stomach started doing back flips. Why? How did she know she loved him? Like the storm clouds above the fog was trying to keep things dark in her head. Small tidbits would make their way through only to be pushed back.

The clock tower bell chimed pulling her back. "We… don't …"

"Makino." Tsukasa had his hands on her face so that she would look him in the eye. "Let's go to my house. It's starting to rain." He started to lift her again when she shook her head.

"No." This didn't feel right. None of it. She was sure that this had happened before. Something was supposed to be happening right now. "I wish I could make you understand what I'm feeling."

A sudden wave of realization hit them both; the fog blown away by the truth. Her mother and aunt were fighting for their lives. Tsukasa had been… she had…

"Who are you?" Her voice faltered slightly. Tsukasa had been knocked out cold, this couldn't be her boyfriend. Minako had placed him under a spell. Was any of this real?

"Makino, you know who I am. Where are we? Where's Yomogi-chan?" He rubbed the back of his head. He looked lost. Maybe this was the real Tsukasa. Without a second thought she had launched herself at him, her arms wrapped around his waist. "Oi, Makino, what are you doing? This isn't the time to get all hentai on me." The blush that darkened his cheeks let her know it was him. She had found him, now it was time to find out where they were and get back.

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Fukae had his hands full. Minako was stronger, faster and angrier than any witch he'd ever faced and he had grown up the only male in a house of four female witches. Fujioko had been able to tend to Fuko's wound, but the longer this battle wore on, the worse it would be for her older twin.

"This is ridiculous." Minako yelled exasperatedly, she was getting frustrated. "Just die already. The three of you are just getting weaker the longer you fight and I'm not, so here in lies the rub." She let out a soft chuckle. "You're just postponing the inevitable." She snapped her fingers and the room became dark. A choked out scream was heard before the lights flickered back. Fuko lay  
on the floor at her feet her head and neck severed, save for a few fibers of skin that kept it attached. "I will kill you. All of you."

Without warning she was back on the attack. Fukae dodged her fist, but doubled over as she connected with her knee. Seeing his sister there, murdered so heinously was throwing him off of his game. Fujioko attacked her from behind, but Minako dodged and was able to use an electric current spell to stop her mother dead in her tracks. Fujioko screamed bloody murder as her body was fried from the inside out.

How could he be so weak? He was supposed to keep his sisters safe. He tried to take advantage of the diversion, he wouldn't let his sister's death be in vain, but she was able to block everything he threw at her.

"I told you. I'd kill you." She stood there with a snide smirk on her face. He didn't know how or why, but he was being held in a head lock. The more he struggled the more he was losing; losing consciousness, losing his sisters, losing his life. He fell to the floor and before he blacked out he could see who was behind him. Minako? There were two of them.

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Fujioko and Fuko watched on in horror when for no reason Fukae fell to the floor. Minako stood smiling at her mother and aunt. "He's not going to be a bother anymore." She looked as if she were going to take a step forward when something else caught her attention.

"This fight is boring me. I have something to take care of really quick-like and I'll be right back." She couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle. "Kill you then."

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Tsukushi and Doumyouji ran through the campus as fast as they could. There didn't seem to be any end to this. Every time they got to the school gates they were back in the F4 lounge. They were stuck. It had to be a spell, but she couldn't tell Tsukasa that. He was so confused and she could see the frustration in his eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" He finally yelled throwing himself on one of the white couches in the lounge. "This is crazy."

"Look, we'll find a way out of here." She tried to comfort him, but she was just as pissed off; if not more. This had to be Minako. She was controlling something and all she had to do was figure it out. "Urrgghhh." She grabbed at her hair. How was she supposed to go up against a witch who was much stronger than her, knew what she was doing, and had years of experience doing it. Sure she had the oracle, but what good was it if she didn't know how to use it.

She reached around her neck to find that the blue amulet was gone. Panic raced through her and Doumyouji raised an eyebrow as he watched her search her body for something.

"What are you doing?"

"The oracle…" She felt her legs falter, but she didn't let herself fall. 'How was she going to win against her sister, when that nut job had already killed somebody and now the crazy bitch might have the oracle too?

Kimiko's warm and loving eyes came to mind. Minako had to pay for not only kidnapping Doumyouji, but for killing her grandmother, and for hurting so many important people in her life. It was unforgivable. Her resolved steeled and her fists tightened with new determination. She couldn't let Minako's deeds go unpunished. She didn't know how to do it, but it had to be done.

Tsukasa looked up at his girlfriend, brows furrowed in confusion. She had an odd look in her eyes and her hands were balled up now. She looked angry, but it was more than that. Makino looked angry a lot. This wasn't like that. He stood from the couch and made his way to her, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"Makino, I love you okay. I know we'll get through this, because we're together." He smiled down at her and watched as her thin lips curved slightly at the sides.

She gave a weak nod and gave into the hug only to feel him tense up. Her gaze shot up to see what was wrong. His eyes looked stricken with pain. "Makino…" His voice was a horse whisper. "Run." He fell into her arms, his body weight making her own knees give way to gravity.

'No, not again. Not here.' She fought against her emotions to breath. She looked up when she saw a pair of heels in front of her.

"I thought I should dash those dreams before you put too much stock in them."

Minako stood triumphantly before them, absently playing with the blood on her dagger. "I only kept him alive to keep you company for a little while." She tried to look shocked." You didn't actually think you were getting out of here alive, did you?"

Horror reeked through Makino's chest. 'What am I going to do?'

As if she'd read her mind Minako bent over and glared at her little sister.  
"Don't worry; I'll help you join him."

The dagger turned into a sword and she swung it expertly. Makino could only close her eyes as the blade took aim to decapitate her. She waited for something to happen, but she felt warmth explode from her chest instead. She opened her eyes and it almost looked blurry around her as if she were looking through glass.

"I don't know how you did that, but it's not going to help you." Yomogi placed her hand on the barrier that protected her younger twin and a black mist escaped her fingers.

Tsukushi took this moment to try and apply pressure to Tsukasa's wound. She blanched as she noticed all the blood that had already drained from the gaping hole in his back.

The sound of giggling broke their attention to a pair of twins standing behind Minako.

"That won't work, will it Nee-chan?" A little girl with curly black pigtails chuckled into her hand.

"No, it won't." She agreed dryly, the other little girl with mid-back length hair replied, her black hair had a pigtail on either side of her head, but the majority of her hair was left out to cascade behind her. "Miss," she looked at Yomogi, her deep brown eyes searching the evil witch imploringly, "please move, we need to help him."

Minako's eyes glared ferociously. "What are you? How did you get here?"

The bubblier twin's eyes fell sadly. "We're here to help Tou-"

She gritted her teeth stopping in her tracks by an elbow to her ribs. "She said not to say anything!" Her sister berated. "You're going to get us in trouble."

"Sorry." The younger twin bit out, she looked near tears, Tsukushi's heart nearly broke and if Tsukasa's heavy bleeding form wasn't pinning her down and if she wasn't in a barrier trying to  
keep herself safe from her homicidal twin sister and if she had a clue who these little girls were, she would have went to console the poor child.

There was no funny banter, no warning, Yomogi just attacked the children, swinging her sword at their chests.

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Yuuki gasped as Tsukasa's body twitched slightly before blood started to stain the floor. She called out to Tsubaki, whose eyes widened despite her little feline body.

"What do I do?" Yuuki tried to turn over Tsukasa's large body, Tsubaki nudging his leg helplessly. "He's bleeding really badly." She reported, but before she could tend to it a barrier, covering Makino and Doumyouji, pushed her and the little cat away from the body, slamming them against the opposite wall.

"What the hell?" Tsubaki practically hissed at the blurry bubble covering her brother.

"It's the ring." Both girls looked up at Fujioko, who had made her way out of the room. She held her brother on one side, Fuko held his other side. "It's a piece of the oracle; it'll protect her when she can't protect herself."

Fuko's face blanched. "She can use the oracle?"

"Apparently," her sister sat against the wall with a sigh, "the amulet in her hand is glowing."

Everyone turned to see that the liquid in the blue gem was bubbling as if it were boiling in Tsukushi's hand.

"I thought..." Fuko didn't have to finish, her sister's expression told her everything.

"With Okaa-san dead..." She trailed off, the thought painfully stabbing her. After so many years of being away from her mother, she'd lost her only a few hours ago and now she was watching her daughter fight for her life against a sociopath she'd had the foresight to abandon. Now, in light of everything that had happened, she wished she hadn't had the compassion to let her live. "...I don't know what she did to ensure that the oracle would bind itself to Tsukushi, but you're right, as far as I know there is only one way to wield the oracle..." She sighed, unable to look at her daughter right now. "...If it's true, I guess I don't know my daughter as well as I thought I did."

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Neither child flinched at the striking steel as it fazed through them. "That won't work either, will it Nee-chan?" The bright eyed twin echoed her previous statement.

"No, it won't." Was the answer she received again. The more serious twin looked over at Tsukasa and her lips, which had been cast in a thin line, curved into a frown. "We don't want to hurt you, but we will if you don't let us help him." Her voice was colder this time, so much that Tsukushi felt it chill her.

"That's fine." Minako pointedly stepped between the twins and her prey. "Try to hurt me."

The somber twin looked at her cheerier reflection and nodded hesitantly. A tear escaped the corner of the younger twin's eye and she lowered her head to hide it. "Okay, Nee-chan, but I'll need her help." Her voice was low as a whisper and cracked ever so innocently.

"No! Ko-chan said that we can't tell her anything."

"But…" She looked away from the stern frown on her sister's face. "I'm scared." She looked up when a hand was placed gently on her head.

"Silly. I'm here." With a loving smile she took her little sister's hand and squeezed it slightly. Together, both girls raised their free hands and glared at Yomogi.

"You don't belong here." The curled hair twin started, happy laughter gone. "Fire."

Minako, who had stayed relatively still since her failed attack, jumped back to avoid flames as they sprung from the ground and reached out for her. The girls moved their hands in time with the combustible whips that ate at the ground as they moved.

"Ice." The straight haired twin lifted her hand and shards of ice rained down and cut at the evil witch as she dodged the lethal debris.

Makino watched in awe as her sister faltered with each hit. Her counterattacks useless, it was almost as if her powers were limited. She had been so strong against Kimiko, even if the elder witch had been rather old; she had to have been stronger than two little girls.

As if she hadn't been watching, or maybe her thoughts had pulled her away, the twins stood in front of the barrier. The elder twin looked over her shoulder. "You're going to have to let your guard down."

"But I don't know how it came up in the first place." Tsukushi's hands flailed in front of her helplessly.

"Just say release." The little girl advised. Makino did as she was told and the blurry bubble melted away. Letting go of her sister's hand she fell to Tsukasa's side, her small hands on his chest, and a very serious expression on her face.

"Do you think you can help him?" Tsukushi asked timidly.

Those big doe eyes looked up at her with so much emotion that it made her want to cry. "That depends; do you think that I can help him?"

Makino closed her eyes. "I know you can." With that the little hands on Tsukasa's chest glowed brightly.

The blur of the barrier melted away and Tsubaki and Yuuki were at Tsukasa's side almost instantly. They watched as the blood that had pooled on the floor seemed to be reabsorbed into Tsukasa's still form. His body looked as if there was a thin shiny veil over it. Everyone watched, but kept their hands to themselves for fear that they would interfere.

It took a few moments, but it felt like hours as the color returned to his pale cheeks. His breathing, which had been choppy and labored, evened out and when the area around him had stopped glimmering he stirred for the first time since they had arrived and his eyes opened slowly.

"Tsukushi..." His voice was a hoarse whisper and Tsubaki leaned her kitty paws on his chest, telling him not to talk and to relax. Her words were lost to him as he tried to get up despite the pain that radiated throughout his body. "Where ... is ...she?" He fought to get out.

"She's right here." Yuuki tried to console him in an effort to get him to relax; he really wasn't in any form to be moving too strenuously. He'd just been bleeding from some unknown wound. There was no telling if it could open up again. There was no telling if there was any permanent damage to being wounded in the first place.

He turned his head to where Tsukushi lay. "I don't know... what happened."

Everyone in the hallway wanted to tell him that they didn't know what happened either, but they just stood silently. They had to come up with an escape plan because, as far as they knew, Tsukasa and Fuko were injured, Tsukushi and Fukae were still unconscious, Yuuki was a novice witch and Tsubaki was a cat. They couldn't leave without killing Minako but they couldn't keep fighting with so many bystanders in the way.

Fujioko wanted to scream. There had to be a way to get everyone out safely and still be able to stop her daughter. She wished she knew what was going on in Tsukushi's mind. Had Yomogi attacked her? Was she injured as well and the oracle was just taking a longer time to heal her. She was just so worried, especially since her younger daughter was apparently using the oracle. She didn't want to leave her daughter there to fight for her life alone, but she had to think of the others that couldn't fight for themselves.

"Fuko, you have to guide them out."

"What?" The word came out as a chorus from the semi conscious people in the hallway.

"You're injured. So is Doumyouji-san. You'll both be in the way." She looked at Yuuki who had a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry..." Fujioko looked at her seriously. "...you have to leave too, you can't do anything against Minako and I need you to help Fuko get your grandfather, Doumyouji-san and the cat out of here."

"You can't be serious!" Fuko yelled at her little sister. "You're just as tired and beat up as I am, how are you going to fight her?"

Fujioko's curled lips could have been called a smile if her eyes didn't reflect the sadness in her heart. "I need to protect my daughter. We can't move her until we know what's going on with her. The shield isn't up anymore and that means she felt secure enough to drop it. Something's going on inside of her, and since we don't know where Yomogi went, I'm not moving."

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The light that had shone from Tsukasa's chest had spread until he disappeared from sight. Tsukushi sat shocked until the little girl finally smiled and turned to her sister. "He's safe."

The curly haired child beamed happily. "I knew you could do it Nee-chan!"

With a quick nod more for her benefit than for the other child's the twin with the straight hair looked at Tsukushi, the smile gone from sight. "We have to go."

Makino looked dumbly at the little girl and nodded her head not really knowing what she meant. Did she plan on leaving her to fight Minako on her own? Did she mean that the three of them were leaving?

As if she could read the confusion on Tsukushi's face the child took her hand. "She wanted to see you. We're all going."

"Who-?" Makino didn't get to ask because she was cut off by the younger twin grabbing her hand.

"Let's go see Ko-chan!" She cheered happily as they disappeared leaving an irate Minako who didn't know what was going on.

This was her world! How the hell were these kids not only getting in and out without her permission, but keeping up with her attacks? They should have been dead by now! How could she have been kept at bay by a little girl that couldn't have been older than five?

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_As always please R/R...Thank you..._


	16. I Want to Try

_**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I am so glad that I was able to finish this and actually put out something I am proud of. I worked really hard on this ending and even though it took me almost four years to finish this story, it's exactly what I envisioned it to be.**_

_**I hope that everyone enjoyed the holidays and I wish nothing but greatness for everyone in the future. Have a great new year.**_

**Chapter 16: I want to try**

When Tsukushi opened her eyes she felt oddly at peace. The anxiety of the twins' battle with Minako, Doumyouji getting injured and saved, it all seemed to melt away now. Even as she opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by nothing but white, in a white dress, similar to the one the little girls on either side of her wore, she was as tranquil as the ambiance around her.

"Ko-chan!" Both children cheered excitedly as a female came into view. They released Makino's hands to run to the arms of the smiling elderly woman.

"Himiko!" Tsukushi smiled as recognition dawned upon her.

The older woman's face brightened as she hugged the children in her grasp. "You did wonderful." She praised lovingly. She looked up at Tsukushi and her eyes saddened immediately. "I'm not Himiko, sweetheart."

Confusion pained Tsukushi's face as she looked over the woman's features. "Grandmother…?"

Kimiko looked at the little girls on either side of her and bent down so she could whisper in their ears. With silent nods, both children disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

"Grandmother, what is going on here? I thought you were…" She trailed off not knowing what to say.

A sigh escaped Kimiko as she thought on how to proceed. "I'm sorry I couldn't teach you more about the oracle than I did, but I had no idea that you'd be able to wield it so soon. I also didn't foresee you _having_ to assimilate its powers so soon." She took Tsukushi's hands in hers and a sad smile graced her lips. "I am so proud of you. I know that you're scared. I know that this is overwhelming to you, but you are the only one that can stop Yomogi."

"I can't do this without you-" Tsukushi was cut off as Kimiko squeezed her hands to get her attention.

"I can't help you. I'm no longer on the living plane. The oracle's gift to me was bringing you to me so that I calm you."

"I don't understand."

Her grandmother pulled her into a tight embrace. "I don't have much time, but I've already told you everything you need to know. The oracle isn't all powerful, but together the pieces are all the power that you need. Think of it like this, the power needs an outlet, a conduit if you will, and the mirror, the ring, the amulet, even the children that brought you here, they all work together to give the oracle a place to manifest its power." She pulled back and looked Tsukushi in the eyes.

"Everything that has happened has not happened by itself. You've willed it all to happen. When you used the mirror to be with that young man, when you used the amulet to enter his dreamscape, when you used the ring to protect you and him from Yomogi; that all happened because you desired it to happen."

"Then I wish you were alive again." Tsukushi said looking around as if waiting for something to happen.

A forlorn look was all Kimiko could offer. "Sweetheart, my time is over. The oracle can't undo what's already been done, like I said it's not all powerful."

"Then what do I do?" Makino felt so tired already. She just wanted all of this to be over.

"Yomogi wants the oracles, but what she doesn't understand is that she can't use them. Even if you handed her the amulet she wouldn't be able to wield its power. That's why so much of Fuko's life force was drained from her, because she had thought she could bare an heir to replace you. That's why when Fuji's stripped herself of the oracle her life force was drained too. None of them understand where the oracle's power derives from." She looked down in between herself and her granddaughter and smiled. "You already know how to obtain its strength, now you just need to manipulate it." The older woman kissed Tsukushi's cheek and was gone.

Makino took her hands and covered her face. Her mind was reeling. She was more confused now than before.

"_You already know how to obtain its strength…"_

"_You've willed it all to happen…"_

'_I wish...'_ She shook her hands as she thought, trying to make herself hurry up. "I wish I knew what she was talking about." She said out loud and her eyes closed as pictures flashed before her.

_Kimiko sat on the bed in her room. "You're not as beautiful as your mother was… I was so angry at your mother when she left us. I couldn't believe she wanted to marry that good for nothing…" A single tear streaked down her pale wrinkled skin as she reached for the ring on her finger. "Please wear this." She placed it on Makino's ring finger. "It will protect you always. As long as you believe in yourself and in the strength of this family, you will never need anything else."_

"_Going up against this magic, without knowing what it is, could prove fatal…"_

"_There are two ways to gain control of the oracle…"_

_Minako laughed. "I was sent away like a criminal because I was born first…" Makino's unconscious body wilted onto the grass below her. "If only I'd've been born a few minutes after you I'd've been the one with the perfect life…"_

_The woman turned…she looked at the woman from the picture on the steps… 'Oh God, that's Fuko… wasn't she like four foot tall?' _

"_That's why so much of Fuko's life force was drained from her."_

"_We're going to have to strip her of her powers…she's not even two years old yet… I don't think that'll work…if she's this powerful, what about the younger one…then the oracle…dies with me…"_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The flashes stopped and Tsukushi opened her eyes to find herself on the floor lying on her back. Before she had a chance to sit up her mother was at her side.

"Tsukushi, are you okay?"

Her voice was lost for a minute as she tried to remember everything that had been showed to her. She was younger…Minako older…ultimately she was supposed to have more power than her twin because she… maybe because she was in the womb longer. Maybe that's why the younger twin can wield the oracle instead of the older twin.

Fuko was the older twin and Kimiko had said that she lost part of her life force trying to manipulate the oracles power, trying to bare an heir to replace Tsukushi, and her mother had lost a portion of her life force separating from it. So, it would make sense that it's something that you're born with.

Her thought process was stalled when she felt Minako's presence appear before her. The action had happened so quickly that Fujioko hadn't had time to react and was backslapped into the wall opposite her.

"I don't know how you conjured those little girls, but I'm not falling for the same trick twice, little sister." Minako practically growled as she attacked Tsukushi who barely had time to block.

"I wish I was stronger than her." Makino dodged a kick that was aimed at her head and jumped back trying to create some distance between them.

Her twin laughed. "Keep wishing, that'll never happen."

Tsukushi didn't feel any stronger. 'Shit, this thing just picks and chooses the wishes it's going to grant.' She blocked a punch by crossing her arms in front of her chest like Kimiko had taught her, but Minako had laced her punch with some kind of spell and she was thrown back a few feet.

Makino looked over at her mother, who lay unconscious from hitting her head against the wall. 'I can't do this!'

"_There are two ways to gain control of the oracle…"_

Yomogi was on her in seconds. Each hit hurt more than the last as she attacked without pause. She opened her hands and her palm filled with flames. When she reached forward to punch Tsukushi in her chest it felt as if she'd been hit by a blowtorch.

'I don't want to die here.' She clung to her chest with tears brimming at her eyes. 'I can't let everyone down. Even if she can't use the oracle, she'll still kill everyone.'

Thoughts of sitting with Rui at the emergency staircase filled her head… Akira and Sojiro having tea and snacks in the quad when they were supposed to be in class…. Yuuki eating ice cream and laughing as they walk to work together… her mother, father and Susumu eating dinner around their tiny dinner table… Tsukasa's smiling face as he holds her tightly and tells her he loves her… these people mean everything to her. Without them she was nothing. Sure sometimes they were troublesome and from time to time she'd caught herself wishing that each of them left her alone, but she'd never be the same if any of them ever did.

"_It will protect you always. As long as you believe in yourself and in the strength of this family, you will never need anything else."_

Minako aimed another flaming fist at Tsukushi's chest, but this one the younger twin caught in her own hand. "I don't need to wish to be stronger than you…" She pushed away her sister's hand as if it were garbage. "…because I already am stronger than you." With that she slapped her across the face. "I believe in this family's power as much as I believe in myself and I won't let you hurt anybody else." She announced, a new confident look shone in her eyes.

The older of the two held her face in shock. 'Who was this weakling to hit me? She hadn't gone through the pain or the rejection that I've been forced to endure!' The air in the long hallway began to chill and the pressure emanating from Yomogi's anger was swirling, biting at her skin. "Don't get cocky! The oracle will be mine soon enough."

"Come at me then. Break me down since you think that you're so powerful. I'm finished with you and all of this." Tsukushi yelled. She'd reached her limit. This had all started long before she knew anything about it, but she was going to finish this once and for all. She didn't have the luxury of failing. Everything she held dear to her: Tsukasa, her parents, Yuuki, her friends and her new found family all hung in the balance. As long as this bitch was alive all of their lives were in danger.

That goading was all Yomogi needed as incentive to attack, but Tsukushi was able to block every punch and kick and when she backhanded her big sister to the floor Minako couldn't do anything but look up with rage in her eyes, the air thickened with killing intent and she disappeared instantly only to appear behind Tsukushi's back, holding her prey with an arm around her neck. "What if I wanted to break your neck? Laugh in your face as your body fell to the floor…what would you do?"

Tsukushi's body melted as if water and Minako jumped in shock as she was backhanded back to the floor from behind. "Since you're asking questions, what if I couldn't take this anymore? What if I told you that you're my sister and I just want to drop this right here? What would _you_ do?"

A thoughtful expression crossed her face as she thought about the question. "Honestly?"

Tsukushi nodded.

"I'd wait 'til your back was turned and I'd slit your throat." The words fell from her mouth as if she were talking about the weather. She was on the attack within seconds, but nothing she could do would get through.

Makino lifted her hands, like a little kid telling you to stop, and Minako slammed into an invisible wall. She tried to take a step back until she noticed she was in a box similar to the one she had trapped Tsukushi in to bring her into the building. "I don't want to fight, but I wouldn't mind making you beg for your life. I mean you say you want more, right? You say that you're not going to stop until you kill all of us, right? What incentive does that give me to let you go?"

"Well, what are you waiting for, little sister? I'm not running from you."

Tsukushi placed her hands on the walls of the box and the air inside started to heat up. The walls of the invisible box glowed red with the flames she was directing into the container. She closed her eyes as Minako fell to one knee.

"Look me in my eyes…if you're going to kill me. I want my executioner…to watch me die. I never…looked away…from any of…the people…I killed." Minako coughed out as she panted for oxygen when the air became too thin to breathe. She fell to all fours willing each breath into her burning lungs. "All…I…wanted was…to be…you." Her eyes closed and she fell to the floor.

Makino immediately dropped the walls, she'd never intended to kill her, just incapacitate her. She fell to her knees and looked for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when she found one. She placed her sister's hands at her sides and closed her eyes thinking about rope binding her tightly so she wouldn't be able to move and when she opened them she was bound. Her next step was to check on her mother, who she thankfully found rubbing the back of her head, cursing at how much it hurt.

"Are you okay?" Fujioko asked her daughter who smiled ruefully.

"That's my question."

"What about Yomogi?" The older woman inquired, but was directed to the unconscious, tightly bound girl on the floor a few feet away. She sighed still holding her head. "I'm so proud of you." She looked down at her daughter's stomach and held her hands on either side. "I'm so proud of you too." She made a face as if she were cooing at a baby.

Tsukushi swatted her hands away and gaped at her mother as if she were senile. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well, Tsukushi, don't be daft. There _are_ only two ways to gain control of the oracle." This information did not clear the look of confusion from her daughter's face. "One way is to literally beat it into you. That way the oracle will manifest itself in physical form to protect its host. The other way is to split it in two by baring twins." When she still received a lost look she sighed. "Well, why do you think it can be manipulated into so many forms? The oracle is too strong to be controlled as a whole, it has to be split. That's why only the younger twin can wield it. In our family only the second female child passes along the gene."

"EH?" Tsukushi would have fainted if the air hadn't chilled suddenly.

Fujioko turned instinctively to her eldest daughter before glaring at the younger one. "YOU DIDN"T KILL HER?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The dango shop was empty and the middle aged owner stood slightly bored at the counter. Sojiro walked up to the sliding doors and looked around as if Yuuki would suddenly appear.

"Nishikado-san!" The owner instantly perked up. "Will Akira-kun be joining you soon?"

"Uh, no?" He quirked an eyebrow at the woman's odd fascination with his best friend. "Isn't Yuuki working tonight?"

The woman sighed exaggeratedly, but he didn't know if it was from the news that the redhead wasn't coming or about his girlfriend apparently not being there.

"She text-ed me saying that something had happened to Tsukushi and that she needed to leave early." She sighed again as she looked at her watch. "That was several hours ago, I didn't get the message until a few minutes ago." She sighed again and it was getting annoying to the dark haired young man. "My shop had been closed for so long. I don't even know how I'm going to be able to keep those girls on as employees if their never at work."

Sojiro knew what she was getting at. If he wanted his girlfriend to keep her job he'd have to buy out the sweet shop **again**. Personally, he'd rather Yuuki quit and if she needed money he'd give it to her, but he knew she was almost as stubborn as Tsukushi and she'd rather work for her wages then have to ask him for money.

"You know I have a few tea ceremonies that I have to do this week." He watched as her face brightened. '_At least she stopped sighing.'_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Fukae started to stir as Fuko led the way out of the hallways. The extremely tired and shorter woman stopped and propped him against the wall. She watched as he slowly grabbed at his head groaning at the pain he felt there.

"Where are my sisters?" He asked his eyes closed, head bowed.

Fuko lifted his chin and looked him in the eyes as realization started to wash the sadness from his features.

"An illusion?" He asked relief evident in his voice. He looked around the darkened hallway noting the missing people. "Where are Fuji and her kid?"

"Still fighting. Her kid was passed out when we left. Fuji didn't want to move her, but she wanted us to get you and that kid out of here." She looked back the way she came and so did everyone, conscious, with her. They could all feel the killing intent that seemed to radiate off the walls. The hallway felt cold suddenly and she had to take several deep breaths to remind herself how to breath despite the pressure that seemed to snake itself around her lungs.

Yuuki's knee faltered and she almost hit the ground if Fuko hadn't steadied her. "It's okay, just calm down." She directed the novice witch on how to relax and breath normally. When Yuuki looked stable she took her brother's arm and draped it over her shoulder again, hoisting him to a standing position. "I promised Fuji that I'd get you guys out of here and I'm not fighting with you Nii-chan, after we set foot outside if you feel strong enough we can go back in..." She pulled him with her as she started walking towards the exit. "…but we are going to get out of here."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The ropes that bound Minako seemed to turn to ash around her. She hadn't even reawaked and the room seemed to radiate with her power.

"Get out of here." Tsukushi pushed her mother away from her.

"You can't stop her alone. You couldn't bring yourself to kill her. I can. Let me help you." Her mother pleaded, but her voice was almost inaudible over the roar of the wind that whipped through the narrow hallway.

"I'm sorry." The brunette put her hand on her mother's shoulder and before the woman could question what she meant she was outside looking at a darkening sky. The clouds seemed to encircle the apartment complex.

'_How?' _Fuji raked her brain for how her daughter could pull off such a complex spell. She'd trained for almost twenty years to wield the oracle and she had been able to manipulate a portion of its powers while she was pregnant, but no where near the amount Tsukushi was using. Her mother in her prime had never been able to transport items without the mirror, let alone people. She was about to run back in the building when she saw her family and the Doumyouji siblings escaping the doors before they disappeared completely.

"How did you-" Fuko gaped as she saw her sister, which she knew she'd left inside, coming toward her.

"Tsukushi." Fuji interrupted as she ran past her sister and the others to where the door had been. "Please. Please." She leaned her head against the wall. "Please be okay."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The sound of the wind was deafening now and it added fuel to the cold flames that wrapped around Yomogi's body.

"You should have killed me." She said flatly, her voice dead and cold.

Tsukushi didn't answer, instead she stood and waited. Her sister didn't move either and they both stared at the other for what could have been years.

Yomogi lifted her hands and items from the walls and the rooms lifted and flew toward the younger twin, but each item deflected off of the barrier surrounding her.

"I want you to live."

Yomogi rolled her eyes angrily. "Spare me your PITY!" She yelled and the wind thickened into chains that whipped at Tsukushi's barrier.

She watched as the barrier flickered with each swipe of the chains. She didn't pity her sister, but she had to admit she wouldn't have wished that life on her worse enemy. A life that lonely, that desolate, could only breed the anger that she was facing now. "Don't you _want_ to live anymore?"

"Actually," she stopped aiming at striking the barrier and set her attention to casting the chains around it instead, "life and death means nothing to me. I've been ready to die since Tsukasa cast me aside. That's when I realized that my life meant nothing and that no one was ever going to love me." Her hands glowed blue and when she flash stepped to younger twin's side her hands were able to pierce the barrier and Tsukushi's side. The wound would have been deeper, but the scrappy brunette had been able to move out of the way.

"Are you feeling secure now, sister?" Yomogi chided proudly as she licked the blood off of her finger while she watched for any moves she'd have to defend.

Tsukushi held onto her side. "I'm not afraid of you, Minako, because unlike you I have something to live for." She placed her hands on her stomach and smiled despite the situation.

Yomogi laughed dryly. "A reason to live is just another way to say a reason to die." She attacked again, grabbing the chains that had been forgotten on the floor. With the barrier broken they wrapped around Tsukushi and held her arms to her sides tightly. With a flip of her wrist the chains tightened. "You and I have never done anything together, _Tsukushi-chan_." She smiled wickedly. "Let's play a game. You give me the oracle and I let you enjoy that reason to live. Well, until I kill you anyway."

"That's funny." Tsukushi didn't even try to wiggle free. "I like that game too." She looked deep into her sister's eyes, no emotion in her own. "I'm sick of fighting. I want to live, even if it's just so I can tell Tsukasa I love him. Take it. The pendent on the necklace, it's the oracle."

Yomogi looked at the brunette skeptically. "Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No, well yes, but I'm pregnant and these chains are really tight on my stomach and I'd rather you not kill my daughters." Tsukushi looked pointedly down at her belly.

The long haired brunette's eyes widened. "You're… with Tsukasa's…?" When she received a nod her fists clenched. She pulled at the thin golden chain around her sister's neck and pulled out the blue liquid filled pendent. She closed her hand around the gem and it glowed red until the fluid dripped from her fingers. The drops that fell never hit the ground, they snaked around her arm and pooled around her chest. "You know nothing about the power you're playing with." Yomogi closed her eyes basking in the wonderfully strong burn of power.

"I know enough to know that it'll kill you." Tsukushi looked at the chains that bound her and said "off" and they loosened and fell to the ground. "Kimiko wasn't kidding when she said you couldn't use the oracle." She extended her hand and the pendent flew from Yomogi's hand to her own. She tried to remain un-phased as screams tore through her sister's throat before the wicked little witch fell to her knees. "The power has nowhere to go, that's what you never bothered to find out about the oracle, it can't be wielded as a whole." She schooled deaf ears.

Yomogi's skin crawled with the force of the oracle, the liquid draining the life force from her very cells. Her hair turned white and her muscles seemed to eat themselves as her flesh hung from her body. Tsukushi had to look away from the sight, her stomach turning with disgust as her sister became unrecognizable.

She placed the pendent on the floor and as if called by its master the liquid drained from Yomogi and returned to its vessel. "I… just leave us alone. Do you think you can do that?" She looked down at the young woman who looked more like a corpse than a person. "You've seen, first hand, that you can't use the oracle. So let it go. You had a bad life, I know, but let it go. Rebuild the rest of your life with some semblance of happiness."

Yomogi looked up at the ceiling, her eyes dead, her body wracked with pain. "There is no such thing as happiness for people like me." Her voice was a soft whisper, horse from her screams.

She didn't know what possessed her, but she fell to her knees and took her sister's head in her lap and stoked her hair. It was weird; she'd always been like that. She'd always been able to look past the wrong that had been done to her and see something worth saving in people. She'd done it to Sakurako and Junpei, even Kaede. Maybe she was a masochist, but as this young woman, her twin, lay there in pain, halfway dying, she couldn't find it in her heart to hate her. "You deserve happiness." She ran her fingers through the long brown hair lovingly. "Can you forgive us?"

The question brought a confused look to the beaten face of the girl in her arms. "Forgive you? I tried to kill you."

"As far as I can see, I tried to kill you too." Tsukushi chuckled despite herself. "We don't have a lot… well, we sort of have nothing, but I'd be happy to share it with you."

Yomogi's eyes never left the tiled ceiling, but tears fell from her eyes. "You'd want to share your life with me, even after everything that's happened? Even after I killed Kimiko? Even after I tortured Tsukasa?"

"If you don't want to be forgiven, just say so, because it's already going to be a pain in the ass trying to get everyone to be okay with me not killing you and then I'm going to have to figure out what we're going to do with you because our apartment is really small and then there's the fact that I'm already really tired and I'm going to have to drag your heavy ass out of here and then-"

"OKAY!" Her raspy voice broke into Tsukushi's rant. "I want to try."

The doe eyed brunette smiled and shook her head. "Do you think you can move?"

"I might be able to move my right pinky by next Thursday if you help me."

The girls laughed at the thought and Tsukushi sighed exaggeratedly. "Unbelievable."

- Five Years Later -

Tsukushi looked around the immediate vicinity suspiciously. The house seemed too quiet and she was usually bombarded with noise and laughter when she came home. It didn't take long after she'd made her way away from the door that she'd been attacked by two giggling girls.

"Kaa-san." The curly haired twin smiled. "Auntie Yogi taught us how to turn Uncle Rui into a cat."

Tsukushi looked aghast at her sister as she noted the auburn haired kitten by the bay window licking his paws and yawning as he stretched. "Hana, sweetie, did she also teach you how to turn him back?" She glared at the white haired woman, who sat turning the pages of her magazines unaffectedly.

"Of course," the straight haired twin rolled her eyes, "but when we turned him back he asked us to leave him as a cat because he was sleepy and wanted to curl up in the sunroom."

"Okay," Tsukushi looked at the three witches before her skeptically, "but, Haru, can you please turn him back now."

The twins looked over at their aunt who smiled before nodding. "Does that mean we have to turn tou-san back too?"

Tsukushi blanched at the news. "You turned daddy into a cat?"

"No," Hana answered as if it were obvious. "He's more of the puppy type."


End file.
